The forgotten curse
by Lady-SM
Summary: I wrote this story 3 years ago... and I never finished it! This is for the reviewers who wanted to know where it ended. Love, betrayal, and plenty of rum!
1. 1

I don't own any of the PotC characters, all I own for now is Marti. This will stay the same until I add some new characters. 

I also don't own the song at the start. (MTI) Enjoy!

There's about 10 chapters done, and when I get some reviews I'll load some more. Nothing like a good old pirate bargain.!

"Hey ho ho, it's all for all for one, hm hm hmm, hm hm hmm… love ya like a son…" Martina Buenos-Marotos' haunting shanty echoed around the docks as she sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the pier, her feet lightly skimming the fog that had gathered in the evening hours so that it swirled slightly around her giving her a slightly unearthly look. Her dark skin helped her fade into the background, but her bright green eyes reflected the moonlight in a way which made them glint and seem to flash every time she turned her head with the rhythm of the song. She had a brown and red faded bandana wrapped around her head with a mass of half dreaded, half braided hair draped messily over it and down her back. She had on a white shirt which would have contrasted with her dark skin even more so if it had not faded so much. It was not exactly dirty. Martina was not a woman who would go more than a week without washing. However, it seemed to have been worn so much that it had worn thin and had become camouflaged against the wood of the docks. Over her shirt there was a dark brown leather strap holding bullets, a rusted knife and other effects. She also had a belt around her waist with two pistols, another knife and a loop of rope attached to it. Her faded khaki shorts were quite tight to her skin which contrasted with the bagginess of the rest of her attire. They came down just low enough to be seen under her shirt which was untucked at the back. The rest of her legs were bare. At the bottom of these she wore a pair of brown leather boots which looked quite out of place on her well toned legs. She had one thick red and white (or used to be white) sock that stuck up above one of her boots, the other did not stick up as far and was just plain white. One of her boot laces had been replaced with a red piece of string. The other was tied with leather twine. Around her neck she had a red patterned bandana, a large gold medallion with the initials BM, and a small pendant with what looked like some kind of bird in flight. On her fingers were several rings. There were some large gold ones and one single silver one. On her face there was a dirty, white scar above her left eyebrow, that cut through her eyebrow, leaving a bare path through the hair. The scar offset her otherwise symmetrical face, with her almond shaped eyes with dark smudges of kohl under them. Her lips were as red as the bandana around her neck, and slightly split in some places where she had spent too much time in the sun. Her eyes had creases at the edges from looking up at the sun in her youth. 

    The dock was quiet, dark and foggy. It was nearly impossible to see any ships more than a hundred yards in front of your face. Martina had pulled a telescope out of her belt and was wafting at the fog in front of her trying in vain to see out to sea. She heard footsteps behind her and slowly lowered the telescope to her lap. In an instant it disappeared without any sign of movement from her. Her eyes lowered along with her head so that she could see the floor behind her while looking inconspicuous. Her eyes eventually settled on two pairs of boots, with very, _very_ shiny buckles. _Soldiers, _she thought to herself, _just what I need. _In an instant she stood up and spun round to be face to face with two British soldiers, and chest to barrel of two rifles. She glanced down and gave the soldiers a cheeky for grin. 

    "Did not your mother ever tell ye it be rude to point a gun at a lady?" She said, her voice layered with a thick Spanish accent. 

    "What is your business of this dock missy," One of the soldiers asked her. From these eight words Martina deduced that this man, and possibly both, was sent to patrol the docks at night, (when it was at it's emptiest) for a very good reason. 

    "Business?" She sounded surprised, "Why I couldn't possibly say, but rest assured, when I be feeling I can say… well, you'll be the first to know." One of the men smirked knowingly, 

    "Now what were you doing with a telescope in this fog?" He asked, "Not looking for a ship were you?" 

    "Why would I be needing a telescope to see a boat?" She asked, innocently, "When the ones around here are so pretty?" 

    "I'm afraid that we're going to have to ask you to leave miss," The first soldier said, authoritivly, "You aren't allowed here without a ship in dock, or arriving." Martina looked desperate and glanced from one to another with wide eyes. 

    "But," She said, her lips pouting, "But, I've got a ship…" She objected, 

    "Oh, and where would your ship be then miss?" The second soldier asked, smirking at the first. Martina's gaze shifted slightly to just behind them. 

    "There," She pointed slightly and seemed to have fixed her gaze on something. Stupidly, and without much thought, the soldiers turned to look, the found themselves face to face with the wooden planks that made up the walkway of the dock, both with a pistol pointed at their heads. "Now," She said, in a voice that was so sickly sweet and innocent that if you couldn't see that she was threatening both soldiers' lives you wouldn't have believed it. "This is what I be about to do. I'm going to step away, and walk off down this here dock into the fog where ye won't be able to see me. And this is what you be doing. You be staying right where you are, until you feel it's safe to risk moving. How does that sound?" Neither man answered, and she slowly pressed the pistols into the backs of their heads, 

    "Yes," One said, 

    "Absolutely fine," The other whimpered, 

    "Good." She said, lifting the pistols and backing away with them resting on her hips still pointed toward the men. "Buonas noches boys!" As soon as she reached the cover of the fog she spun on her heel and ran from the dock. 

    "Mullroy?" One of the soldiers whispered, 

    "What?"

    "Do you think she's gone?"

    "I don't know. Try moving." 

    "Okay- wait, you move!"

    "I'm not moving, she might still be there!"

    "Well then neither am I!"

    Martina heard them arguing in the distance and chuckled to herself, revealing a gold incisor tooth in her mouth. She reached the town of Port Royale and slid her pistols back into her belt. She took in a deep breath of air. It had been a long time since she had been in the town, and though it was night time, she recognised every street, even though she had only been there twice. It was a known fact that you learn your way around a place very quickly when you have the need to learn handy escape routes. 

    She slowly passed the boarded up shops, and houses. There was a bakery, that smelled of bread baking for the next day. She reached behind a groove in the board in front of the window and slid her knife smoothly down the edge. The board folded away without a sound and she pulled a bread roll from behind it, sliding it back into place. The store front looked unaltered and she walked happily away, taking a bite of the bread. 

    She passed by most of the major functions of the street. The brewery, the florist, and then stopped abruptly at the blacksmiths. She glanced up and squinted at the sign above the door in the near non-existent light. Although she could not read a word of English she recognised the crossed swords above the door, linked through a horse shoe. Cautiously she tried the handle, but it didn't budge. She moved silently over to the window where she caught sight of a candle flame flickering inside. Some one was in there, and there was a fire lit, so they were working. With an unpleasant image of hot pokers forming in her mind, Martina looked away from the window, only to notice that there was a slit of light coming from behind the smithy. She slid down the dark alley to the back entrance and slipped in through the back door without a sound. She managed to hide herself behind a pile of anvils an such so that she had a view of the man at work. 

    He was quite a tall man, with dark curls, but not too long. His clothes were smart, but sensible, and he looked like he worked very hard at his trade. There was something about the figure that made Martina want to get a look at his face. She crept around, slowly, until she wasn't behind anything, and only hidden by the shadow of the corner of the room. She held onto the wall and pulled herself up, dislodging a small stone from the brickwork. 

    The blacksmith stopped his work at once and spun to face the corner. Forgetting herself, Martina held up her hands to show she was not armed, unlike the smithy, who was armed with an extremely expensive looking pistol. 

    "Lleve a cabo su fuego- hold your fire- Turner!" She gasped, loosing all thought at the situation. A little confused, the smithy lowered his weapon, slightly. 

    "How do you know my name?" He inquired, "And why do you speak it as if we are familiars?" 

    "By the powers, it be a young Turner!" Martina said, shocked, "For a minute, I thought ye'd come back from the grave," 

    "Do you speak of my father, William Turner?" He asked her, cautiously, "How do you know of him?" 

    "Oh, Bill and I go way back," She smirked, "So you be his boy, Will." 

    "And you are…?" Martina shot out her hand, rings clicking as she extended it. 

    "Martina Buenos-Marotos." She said, with an heir of pride, "I was told to find you, the blacksmith at Port Royale. You and your young bride, for there is an urgent matter that ye may be interested to involve yourselves in." 

    "You were sent here?" Will asked her, his pistol now by his side, "By who?" Although he feared he already knew the answer, 

    "Not sent as such, more advised. By the one and only," She said, as if building up to a big finish, "Jack, _Captain _Jack Sparrow."

    The very same Captain was currently at the helm of his beloved ship, the Black Pearl. He held a compass loosely in his hand but did not seem to have much of a use for it any more as he could already lay eyes on his destination. 

    Through the darkness of night, he could see the faint glow of an ocean side town. And when the sea breeze allowed it, could hear the sounds of a busy town at night. He could hear bells, music, and the cries of jovial men and women enjoying life to the full. 

    The captain was merely a part of the ship to an onlooker. He looked as though he belonged there. Adjusting the wheel this way and that as his he had been born at the helm of the hip. His dark, dreaded hair flicked in the air as it was caught by the wind. He was humming an old sea song, and adding a few words when he felt like it. With no indication he flipped the compass away and took a firmer grasp of the helm. Just as he did this, the ship began to rock from side to side with the change in current. He could smell the town now, the familiar smell that was a mix of rum, sea air and ehem, _pigs_. 

    There was the sound of a door opening and then being clicked shut behind him. A woman stepped out onto the deck. Neither of them spoke for a moment, but then the woman said, 

    "If this wasn't your idea, I'd be saying it was crazy." 

    "Aye," The captain answered, distantly, "But if it weren't my idea lass, it _would _be." There was silence after this, and only the faint cries of the people on shore to be heard, 

    "Do you believe it?" She asked him, seriously, 

    "Ana Maria," Jack said, without turning his head, but with a slight smile appearing on his face, "At this point in time, I'm believing one thing only,"

    "And what's that?"

    "There be Tortuga," He said, "And there be our answers."

    "Will?" Elizabeth Turner had heard voices from downstairs and had come to see what all the fuss was about, "Will- oh," She sounded quite surprised to find such a woman in her home, "What is going on?" Will opened his mouth to answer but Martina cut him off, 

    "My name is Martina Buenos-Marotos," She said, "And you are Elizabeth Turner? Oh yes, Jack told me all about you." 

    "Jack?"

    "Yes, Jack has sent her here for some reason," Will told his wife, "One which I am yet to discover." 

    "Yes, well," Martina said distractedly, "Well, Jack seemed to tell me a lot of things, but the fact that you be Bill's son seemed to have conveniently slipped his mind."

    "You appear to know a lot about us," Elizabeth said, discovering that she already liked the fiery girl, "But we know almost nothing about you, excepting you name of course," Martina smiled. She seemed to like Elizabeth too, although she was finding it difficult not to be amused by such a well spoken and high classed woman living above the local smithy. 

    "Do ye fancy a little boat ride?" She asked, cryptically. At the exact same time as each other, Will said, 

    "No." and Elizabeth said, 

    "Where?" 

    The two of them linked gazes for a moment but Martina ignored them and carried on. 

    "Tortuga be such a wonderful place," She said, "T'would be a shame to pass up such a wonderful opportunity to visit it again." 

    "Would it indeed?" Will said, this time with Elizabeth on his side. She had never been to the town, but from the stories she had heard, she was not sure she wanted to. "Has Jack got it into his idea to go on some mad treasure hunt?" 

    "Treasure hunt?" Martina thought about this, "Well, yes, and no. It's a hunt, yes, and treasure, well…"

    "Not all treasure is silver and gold," Will said thoughtfully. Martina frowned, 

    "Of course not, there's diamonds and rubies, and sapphires and…"

    "You know what it is," Will said, accusingly. The same cheeky grin appeared on Martina's face, 

    "That I do," She said, 

    "You aren't going to tell us are you?"

    "Can't say I be doing anything like that."

    "Then you can leave." Will said, "I know Jack well enough not to trust these cryptic clues, unless I want to find myself in a lot of trouble." A frown set in on Martina's face, and her green eyes flashed, 

    "Fine," She said, "But I say this," He accent began to set in, distorting some words, "Were it me, and I had this chance, I would not be saying no. I would trust old friends, and be at the dock at day break." 

    "Chance for what?" Elizabeth asked, picking up on something Martina had said, 

    "Chance, chance to find out who I be, and who I was." At this, Martina slipped to the back of the smithy where she had entered and disappeared into the night.   


	2. 2

Thank ye for the reviews mates! *Over exaggerated bowing* Hats off to you! 

Marti isn't the only new character in this story, and yes, there will be a Jack OC romance… but not yet. 

Keep reading, keep reviewing, and above all, keep writing!

All that evening, and most of that night, Will could not get Martina's words out of his head. For some reason he felt as if there was something he'd missed. Something very important. He lay awake at gone two o clock with her words running through his mind again, and again, and again. _Find out who I am. _He thought, _What did she mean? _

He got up slowly, trying not to wake Elizabeth who seemed to be sleeping soundly next to him. She walked over to the window where he could behold the view of the entire port. 

    "Why can't you sleep?" Will jumped slightly as he heard his wife's voice behind him, for he had thought she was asleep. He turned around to face her, 

    "It's probably nothing," He said, "I just can't stop thinking about what she said,"

    "About wanting to know who you are?" Elizabeth asked, her hand resting on his cheek, "But Will, you already know who you are." Will turned away, 

    "I _was _William Turner, son of a respectable merchant. Now I'm William Turner, son of Bootstrap Bill Turner, a pirate. Who knows who I could turn out to be tomorrow?" Elizabeth did not know what to say. She had no idea that Will felt this way. She had thought that when he found out from Jack who his father really was then he had laid it to rest but this was obviously not the case. She thought for a moment, and then broke the silence saying slowly, 

    "Then maybe we should go to the docks at dawn," She said. Will turned around with a confused look in his eyes. Elizabeth began to explain herself, "It won't be empty," She said, "And then we can meet this woman again and find out more. Any hint that she's lying and we can just come straight back here,"

    "And if she isn't? If she really does know something and Jack's sent her here for us?"

    "Then," Elizabeth sighed, "Then I suppose life will just get a little more exciting." 

    Meanwhile, at Tortuga, the crew of the Black Pearl were enjoying the hospitality of a local inn. Jack seemed to have gained a lot more respect in the area after defeating Barbosa and the cursed crew than he had had for managing to escape being marooned. There had always been some doubt as to what had happened that time, but the story of the fight for the Pearl had travelled all around the Caribbean, and probably even further. Jack was enjoying a drink with one of his crewmen, 

    "Aye, if we stays here too long Gibbs, we might forget what it was we came for in the first place," He said, tipping the remainder of his bottle of rum into his glass, 

    "What would that be Cap'n?" Gibbs asked merrily, for he had had quite a lot to drink, 

    "You haven't drunk nearly enough to forget somethin' like tha'" He said, frowning, "Besides, if Teeny doesn't show up we might just 'av an excuse to stay,"

    Martina paced impatiently at the docks, keeping one eye peeled for soldiers, and the other for Will and Elizabeth. After quite a while after dawn she was beginning to wonder if they were going to turn up. 

    _Maybe I gave them to long to think about it,_ she thought to herself, _maybe they decided- _Her thoughts were cut off as she caught site of the couple hurrying down the long road from the town to where she was stood. Will was wearing the same clothes as he had been last night, but with a travelling cloak around his shoulders, and a bag slung over his back. _I take it they aren't coming here to tell me to push off then. _Elizabeth looked like she had tried to find something practical to wear. She had on a simple dress of pale blue, and her hair was tied back in a messy bun. She kept glancing over her shoulder, _probably hoping none of her posh job friends see her, _Martina smiled to herself. 

    Finally, the pair reached her. 

    "Thought you'd never show," She said, still smiling, "Let's get going," 

    "Wait," Elizabeth stopped her in her tracks, "We aren't going anywhere until you tell us exactly what's going on." Martina grimaced, 

    "I will tell what I can," She said, "But I promised Cap'n I would not breath a word to ye." Will looked at her expectantly, "Okay, okay," She said, "So I can tell this. At this particular moment, we have no means of transportation…" Will's eyes change to take on a look as if he had heard this all before, "But as of now, we're currently… well, we'll have one soon." 

    "How, exactly?" Elizabeth asked her, expecting to be amused by the answer. Martina's eyes scanned the bay.     

    "I have not seen any man 'board that ship since I be here, and that be almost an entire day now." 

    "The owner is a merchant, probably taking up residence in a local inn," Will said, wondering what she was planning, 

    "I see no guards," She said, quickly scanning with her eyes, "But you see one and ye let me know, quickedy quick, okay?" 

    "What are you going to do?" 

    "Stand aside that grand mooring over yonder, and I'll show ye," 

    Slightly hesitantly, Will and Elizabeth turned and walked to the grand navy ship where she told them to. When the turned around they could not see her at all, until suddenly a flash of brown and red leapt up in a glorious swallow dive and slipped into the water, with barely a ripple. Their eyes shot to each other, mentally questioning if they had both seen the same thing. Sure enough, in moments they saw the same flash of colour on the boat. She had managed to get on board without arousing any suspicion whatsoever. 

    She manoeuvred the boat to their position and stood up proudly as she did so, giving a staged bow. 

    "Thank ye, thank ye. And for my next trick…" She waited for a moment until the sun had gone behind the cliff face and almost instantaneously as she pulled a rope attached to the main sail and wrapped it around it's hook in a movement so fast, it looked like she could have done it in her sleep, the wind picked up and a sudden gust made the boat jolt forward, and they were on their way. 

    "No merchant I know wakes before dawn if he owns a pretty boat like this," Martina said, "And only a few I know wake before midday. There's no business in exquisite jewellery for the commoners. And rich jobs only get up when the best bit of day is wasted." 

    "Jewellery? You seem to know a lot more about this merchant than you claim to." Elizabeth said, accusingly, 

    "Ah well," Martina's eyes flashed cheekily and she wore a grin that reminded Elizabeth of Jack. "Well, ye can always trust a pirate to be untrustworthy. That's what I say." 

    "Always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest." Will echoed Jack's own words. Martina scowled, 

    "First of all, that comment does not mention me, and I'm honest as they come mate, thank ye very much," Elizabeth caught on, 

    "You may say you are, but we can't trust you to be honest, because 'you can always trust a pirate to be untrustworthy'." The female pirate grinned proudly, 

    "Aye, don't miss a trick, do you?" She said, in respect, "Now, Jack told me you'd done good and married a pirate, but this lad, he be only a boy. A smithy. And he doesn't smell." 

    "Neither do you, I've noticed. If you don't mind me being so bold in saying so," Will commented. 

    "Uh, I'm a pirate, remember mate? If bold men put me off, I'd have gone cryin' back home long ago. And I don't smell because I'm a woman, and we've got more self respect than men. You met Ana didn't you? She's jus' the same. But you lad, you be a man, and a man can't go round smellin' of posh jobs stuff. T'is not nat'ral." 

    "It is where I come from," Will protested, 

    "T'is not." Martina argued, "Because ye don't come from _Port Royale_ do ye?"

Thanks for reviewing guys! He he!

Bobo3:- dude, on your story I did mean that the different points of view were hard for me to understand, but I like the story, its really good. 

u-ne-korn:- thanks for the review, and as for grammar, I'm 15 years old! I'm full of ideas, but that sort of distracts me from actually learning anything!

Next chapters up now, tell your friends! I will try and update daily, or at least every other. 


	3. 3

It had been nearly a day since the trio had left Port Royale, and for nearly all that time, Martina had been half laid, half sat propped up by the wall of the cabin, every now and again turning the wheel slightly. It was obvious she knew exactly where she was going. Will had gone below decks to see what he could find, and Elizabeth had stayed above deck with their unconventional 'captain'. She regarded her for some time before approaching. 

    Martina noticed her presence when the bright light of the sun in her eyes was disrupted. She opened her eyes, squinted slightly, and swung herself upright. 

    "Aye?" She said, conversationally. Elizabeth sat down beside her. 

    "You really aren't going to tell us what is going on, are you?" She asked her. 

    "Like I told ye before," She said, "I gave me word," 

    "But I thought you could always be trusted to be untrustworthy. So why can't you tell us?" Martina smiled approvingly. 

    "For an English woman, you've got a good head on your shoulders." She said, "But it's got a lot to learn about pirates." 

    "Oh yes?"

    "I gave Cap'n my word. A pirate cannot go back on their word." Elizabeth thought for a moment. 

    "Well, I have noticed… with the code and everything, but in _my _experience-"

    "Are we talking your Barbosa experience?" She asked, "There's a slight difference between-"

    "The last time I saw Jack Sparrow, he made a very crude remark and then fell off a cliff." Martina sighed, 

    "Ah. But-"

    "I will admit that there is an immense difference between the two crews of the Black Pearl. But a pirate's a pirate." 

    "Aye, that I am," Martina said, turning the wheel slightly, "And so be your William." The pair did not speak for a long time, but something Martina said had stuck in Elizabeth's mind. She had said herself that Will was a pirate, she used to think pirates were wonderful, exotic people. What had changed? She'd stopped living on ships and started living in a British household. When she'd been kidnapped by Barbosa, she'd had that experience of living on ships again. She'd met pirates, she'd always dreamed about it, and then she married one. Only, the one she married was perfectly happy living on dry land, away from his roots, away from the sea. 

    At that moment, Will came back on deck carrying some pistols and bullets. 

    "For a jewellery merchant, there doesn't seem to be much jewellery down there," Martina flipped up her bag so that a collection of pearls, gold necklaces, rings, pendants, bracelets and more spilled over the edge. 

    "That's because I got there first mate," Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at the look on Will's face. "I think it will be good for you two to live like pirates for a while," Martina said, "Living in your little house, with all your money that you don't seem to do much with and going through everyday, doin' the same thing? That be no way to live." 

    "And the life of a pirate is?" Will had never been comfortable with his heritage, 

    "Live every day as it comes, see new places, meet new people, (often for not very long) and you get to live like kings wherever you go after a good haul."

    "If it's that good, then why doesn't every man do it?" Will asked her, sarcastically, 

    "It's the noose, is not it?" She answered, "The lubbers be scared out their wits of it. But us pirates, we say, what pain is hanging after a life of fulfilment?" 

    "You have an answer for everything." Elizabeth said, 

    "I was born at sea," Martina said, "My mother died giving birth to me and my father raised me. I didn't set foot on land until I was five years old, when my father died. I've lived on pirate ships ever since, and my life has been incredible." She looked at them both, "And your lives are about to get a lot better." 

    The trip to Tortuga took over two days and by the time the island was actually in view Will and Elizabeth were sleeping in a cabin below deck. Martina had swung herself up to the top of the crows nest. Her eyes flashed at the site she beheld. As fast as she got up there, she swung down and stuck her head into the couple's cabin, 

    "Look alive!" She yelled, waking them both up with a start, "We be here,"

    She climbed back up to the crows nest and whipped out her telescope. The site she beheld was one for sore eyes. The Black Pearl. She had not seen it in so long, and there it was, easily the most magnificent ship in the harbour. It seemed to take an age and more to get level with it to dock, and when they finally got there, Martina spotted a figure she knew well hanging over the side of the deck to greet her, 

    "Buena mañana mi amigo!" She called loudly, Ana Maria smiled back at her, 

    "T'is not morning yet Marti," She called, "I be the only one in the land of the livin' at the present moment." 

    "I take it Jack's been taking full advantage of having his ship back then," Elizabeth commented, 

    "If you mean getting rat faced every waking moment of the day then I'd say you're correct Elizabeth," Ana Maria told her. Then directing her voice toward Marti, she said, 

    "Hurry up and come on board. I'm sure when he wakes the Captain will be wanting to see ye." Marti mock saluted, 

    "Aye-aye sir!" She called, "Captain Marotos of the…" She leant over the edge of the boat and almost slid overboard when she read the same, "the golden dingy?" She sounded disgusted, "I've been cruising around the Caribbean in a ship called the golden dingy?" 

    Will, who had in fact noticed the same of the boat whilst still at Port Royale, laughed to himself. In many ways Marti reminded him of Jack, who, whilst getting him into some very tricky situations, had been amusing company. She always frowned like he did when she was working something out, and there was something about her eyes… when you looked into them, deep into them, you could tell when she was being sincere. That had been the one thing that had convinced him to believe her story when they had first met. It was strange to him how he felt he could instantly trust the word of someone who was obviously a pirate, and then when any English gentleman spoke to him, he could never quite trust everything they said. 

    Ana Maria was waiting for them on the dock side. She held something out to Marti, who grabbed it eagerly the instant her feet touched the shore. 

    "Me hat!" She cried, "Where did ye find it?" Ana Maria shrugged her shoulders, 

    "You'd have to ask Captain Sparrow," She said, "He's the one who found it." Marti put on her hat and patted it down. 

    "That I will." She said.

    On an island, far, far away… Well, not that far away. In fact, it was about four days trip from Tortuga, and still in the Caribbean. Anyway. On this island, not so far away a pirate sat on a beach, legs crossed, staring out over the ocean. A shooting star streamed through the night's sky, and disappeared far out over the horizon. A few seconds after it had left view, the pirate let go of a feather, as black as the night sky. It floated forward, then the wind changed direction drastically, and it twisted in mid flight, changing it's direction back to land. 

    "That's interestin'" The pirate said, thoughtfully, and took a swig of rum, "That's very interestin' indeed."                         

Hey there readers and reviewers!

u-ne-korn – thanks a lot, and heres the next chapter just for u! and every one else. 

I have planned this story like, a million times, and now its right, so I hope u enjoy it. Looks like a long one. 

Every one else, wheres the reviews?!? Come on guys, I need sum support here!

C yaz, 

Savvy Z


	4. 4

Dark, dark, dark. So dark. It's wet, it's cold, it's death. But it's not death, because there is no death. There is no way out, and there is no death. Just life, tortured life forever. But there's a light ahead, it's… it's like a star… it makes the ocean floor look like the sky at night. It explodes, but of course, you don't die, you aren't hurt, you just see it happen. Then suddenly, the star turns into a swirling galaxy, a vortex, a whirlpool. You are drawn to it, be not because the water around you is, but because you feel you can't turn away, or rather, you shouldn't turn away. You move toward it, and reach out and-

Captain Jack Sparrow woke in his bed with a start. He sat up, dark eyes darting around until he got his bearings. 

"That's interestin'." 

Martina re-explored the ship after being apart from it for over ten years. She knew ever nook and cranny, every room, every rope, every sail. She stood staring at one of the holes in the rail surrounding the ship. 

"Cannon fire," Ana Maria said, stepping up behind her, "It was us actually. When Barbosa had the Pearl." 

"Barbosa," Marti shook her head, "I only met that man once, and I never suspected…" 

"No one did, apparently," Ana Maria told her, "And you are a lucky woman to have only met him once." 

"I take it you've had the pleasure." 

"I had the pleasure of nearly getting my head blown off." 

"Who hasn't?" 

"Very true." Ana Maria paused, "The Captain's on deck with Will and Elizabeth Turner. He wants to see you, to thank you for taking his message." Marti sighed, 

"Must do that then," She said, "And of course, thank him for finding my hat."

"Of course."

"So what about the Turners? What do they be doin' in all of this?" Ana Maria raised her eyebrows. 

"I know." She said, 

"Oh. Everything?"

"Most of everything. I think Captain Sparrow if trying to tell them now." She sighed, "It was a good excuse to escape. Finding you." 

"And here was me thinking you be concerned about me." Marti said, grinning, "Maybe we should go on deck." 

    "Jack, what are you saying?" Elizabeth asked him. Jack was obviously trying to explain something that he didn't really want to, or didn't know how to. 

    "Elizabeth, just _think _ about it, listen to the words," She said, exasperated, "The crew took the gold from the chest. Cursed, so they don't die. Ten years later…"

    "The gold was put back, the curse was broken. Anyone at the bottom of the ocean would be dead." Jack shook his head, 

    "If you were at the bottom of the ocean, would you just wait around to die? When you knew that there would be a considerable amount of time before the curse would be broken?" Will shook his head, 

    "It can't be, it's been so long…" Jack put his hand on Will's shoulder and looked him in the eye. Will could see the sincerity there. 

    "Trust me, William," He said, "Your father's alive."

  Do mine eyes deceive me? Only one new review? Tut tut!

Thanks for your review Sparrow Chick, much appreciated. I hope you keep enjoying the story. I posted this chapter because its just a short one, so I want to see some reviews people!!!

Always here, 

Savvy Z


	5. 5

"Your father's alive." Marti and Ana Maria both set foot on deck just in time to hear the words that would change Will Turner's life forever. Marti was just about to turn on her heel and go right back where she came from but Ana Maria stuck out an arm to stop her. Will glanced at them, and went back into his apparent state of shock. Then he turned on Marti. 

    You knew about this," He said, "You knew all the time we were at Port Royale, and all the time we were on that pathetic boat of yours," Marti put up her hands, 

    "Easy mate, I were just followin' orders." She said, backing away slightly. Jack stepped in front of Will, his hands up in the same way as Marti's. 

    "She's right Will, I made her swear not to tell you, not to breathe a word…"

    "But why?" Elizabeth interfered, seeing the sense of betrayal in Will's eyes. 

    "If young William knew before 'and how could I be sure of 'im comin' here?" 

    "You couldn't." Will said. Jack saw how his words were affecting Will. He looked to Elizabeth, who had all the sorrow in her eyes of seeing the man she loved in so much pain. Will pushed past Jack and went down the gangplank into the streets of Tortuga. Jack looked set to go after him but Elizabeth stopped him. 

    "Don't, Jack," She said, "You've said enough." Elizabeth disappeared off deck. Ana Maria, Marti and Gibbs stepped out into view. Jack looked at them all. 

    "Don't pretend any of you expected less." He said, walking away. 

    Jack went to his cabin. He opened the glass drinks cabinet and selected a bottle. He started to pour the rum into a glass, then stopped and looked at it. He threw the glass down so that it shattered, and sat down in his chair so hard that the cutlery on the table shook, then began to down the bottle. 

    Marti stood outside the door to Jack's cabin. She knew it wouldn't be locked, but she felt like she just couldn't open it. Perhaps that was the idea the Captain was going for. 

    She knocked lightly. But there was no answer. She knocked again, louder, and still no answer. She suddenly felt worried and pushed the door open. 

    "Jack?" She looked around the room. 

    "Don't you worry yourself about me luv," A deep voice said from the depths of the Captain's great arm chair. "I haven't drunken meself into his locker yet." 

    "Jack…" 

    "Don't you be sayin' anythin' you don't be meanin Teeny," Jack said, "I know it was me idea, and I know you were only following orders." 

    "But if I hadn't…"

    "Then you'd have ignored a direct order." Jack stood up, and wobbled, only slightly. "You did right." 

    "Right." Jack put a hand on her shoulder. 

    "You did right." He said again, "And William will agree. He will. The lad's just… he's thought his father was dead for so long." 

    "So have we." Marti said, indignantly. "It's not of if he ever really _knew _Bill. He thought his father was a respectable _merchant. _We're coping pretty well with it, so he hasn't got an excuse." 

    "We knew, _know _the real Bill Turner, Will has no idea what to expect." Marti sighed, 

    "Jack, you make more sense when you're drunk than you do when you're sober." 

    "That's because luv, when I'm sober… When am I sober?" 

    Elizabeth sat with her legs dangling over the edge of the ship, staring out into the streets. In daytime, Tortuga looked almost civilised. This was because until the evening, everyone was sleeping off the previous nights exploits. Ana Maria approached and joined her. She didn't say anything, but instead waited for Elizabeth to speak first. 

    "Do you think he's alright?" She asked. 

    "Your husband managed to stay alive when Barbosa wanted him dead. I'd say that Tortuga would be a walk in the docks." Like other pirates, Ana Maria always said what she was thinking. But unlike most pirates, what she thought was actually quite sensible. She was very different to Marti, who often said things she shouldn't, and without concern for other people's feelings. "Besides, he's your husband. Do you believe he will come back to the ship?" 

    "Oh, I believe he will," Elizabeth said, with a slight laugh which lacked humour in every way. "I just don't know when." Neither of them spoke for a moment. Elizabeth felt strange, having this conversation. She hardly knew Ana Maria at all. And the last time they met, they had spent their time having '_differences of opinion_' and Elizabeth had spent a great deal of time ordering her about, which, although it worked at the time, she hadn't been all too happy about. "Did you ever meet Will's father?" 

    "Not once," She said, "I didn't meet Captain Sparrow until after he lost the Pearl, and Barbosa had _disposed _of Bill Turner before I had the pleasure of meeting him." 

    "Then Jack was the only one?" 

    "Marti knew him, or knows him quite well. And Mr Gibbs… well, I know they've met. There have been a lot of questions floating around about him since we found out." Elizabeth had not taken her eyes of the main street of the town of Tortuga since they started talking. 

    "How _did _you all find out?" She asked. 

    "We- hmm," Elizabeth regarded Ana Maria, who looked unsure of what the answer was, "We… Jack told me. The crew was so shocked at the time, and then we were attacked by a French merchant ship,"

    "Attacked by a merchant ship?" 

    "Well, it was foggy… and it didn't see us, and then it almost hit us, and then,"

    "Do I really want to know?"

    "I'm a pirate, lady," Ana Maria said, "It's in the job description. But, after that we came here, and there were stories floating around about Bootstrap Bill Turner being alive. People had seen him, and told others, and… then we sent word to Marti because we knew she was in Jamaica, to come and fetch you. The Pearl could not exactly turn up in Port Royale. But Marti had never been to Port Royale, and we knew she wouldn't be recognised." Elizabeth had realised that the reason she was feeling out of place in the whole situation because she was out of place. Every one else had a connection, but she… she wasn't a pirate, she hadn't known Will's father, and most of all, she was an well bred English Lady, from a well established English family. Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted her husband in the distance. She stood up, catching Ana Maria off guard. She looked set to run to meet him, and started to, but then turned back, 

    "Ana Maria," She said, pausing, "Thank you." Ana Maria smiled and gave her a nod. Elizabeth turned away to meet her husband. 

Way hey! Another chapter up, done and dusted, although, I hate to say that I'm already planning the end! Don't worry though, you have plenty more to read, about 20 chapters into the future is where I am at the moment! 

New reviewer! PED Sarah, thank you very much! And in answer to your question, I have removed all of my previous stories and only have this one going at the moment. I did not know what was going to happen with the others and just made it up as I went along, and usually this stopped me from taking any risks so I just ended up with a load of mushy Mary Sue stories, *cringe!* So this time I brainstormed the story, and the characters. I know exactly what is going to happen, but my ending is still a bit fuzzy. But of course, in time I'm sure you'll find out for yourself! I'm very glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope others are too, although they aren't reviewing!!! Hint hint peeps! 

As for the rest of ye, what d'ya think you're playin' at eh? Where's me reviews mates? 

Hope to hear from you guys soon, 

Savvy Z 


	6. 6

Back in England, at a very, _very _elaborate ball, a lady stood fanning herself gently, stood by the wall watching the couples dancing. 

    She was very attractive. To be more accurate, she was absolutely beautiful. She was dressed in a golden coloured dress, and her hair was half pinned up, and half dropping down her back in loose curls. She had golden coloured gloves that rose above her elbows. She was watching the dance floor, when her eyes caught the approaching figure of a man. 

    His name was Andrew Johnson, a Captain in the Navy. She caught his gaze as he approached, and held it, almost hypnotising him. Of course, he didn't know that she knew who he was, so he introduced himself. She introduced herself as Lady Amelia Hurst. He asked her to dance, and she complied. They continued to swirl around the dance floor, other couples conveniently moving out of their way, as if the whole ball was choreographed. After the dance had finished, Lady Hurst excused herself saying she was in need of fresh air. When she got outside she glanced back, and then around herself to make sure no one could see her. Then, unfolding her fan, a key slipped out into her hand. She grinned to herself, and took one last glance behind her before running off into the trees that surrounded the hall. 


	7. 7

Will opened the door to the Captain's cabin slowly, and quietly. Jack stood up when he saw him. 

    "I need to know… everything that you know." Will told him, "I need to know who my father was, where he is now, so I can discover who _I _really am." 

    "I can tell ye who your father was, and where we might find him," Jack said, "But the only way you can find out who you are, is to come with us to find him." Will shook his head and sat down, his head in his hand. Jack chose to ignore the fact that Will had just sat in his chair and leant back on the table. 

    "This is just… a lot to take in." 

    "Can't be that hard," Jack said shrugging, "Yer dead dad's up and about and no one knows if he's going to be glad to see ye or try and take the heads off the lot of us." Despite himself, Will laughed, and Jack became serious. "But don't be blamin' Martina now William," He said, "This news hit her hard as well." 

    "What?" 

    "Well didn't she tell you? She and your father were good friends. They knew each other plenty longer than I knew yer old man." 

    "But she would only have been a young girl when he was alive," Will observed, "She can't be much older than me,"

    "Aye, she's not." Jack agreed, "Bootstrap was her mentor. He taught her everything she wanted to know, about being a pirate. The girl was orphaned, and your dad was like the older brother she should have had." 

    "I suppose I have some apologising to do. Do you know where she is?" 

    "Best bet is she's with Ana Maria," Jack said, "I saw em headed for Tortuga a while back. Said they had some errands to run."

    "Errands?"

    "In my experience," Jack said, knowledgably, (Will could tell he'd been drinking. More than usual.) "When they are running errands, they are more than likely trying to find some good looking young men," He said, "Of course, no man in Tortuga be as handsome as meself, but they always try." 

    "Still not looking to _settle down _then?" Will joked. Jack smirked, 

    "The day I announce that will be a very sad day to every woman in the Caribbean," Jack said, "Wouldn't want to be disappointin' them now would I?"

    Marti and Ana Maria were in fact not having much luck in Tortuga with men. One side of town they could not go near because Marti owed a hefty sum to an inn keeper which she had failed to repay for quite a while. It was late afternoon, but not late enough for it to be busy. Marti had recognised a woman on the street and dragged Ana Maria with her to speak to her. 

    "Haven't seen you around here for a while Martina," The woman, named Scarlet, said in greeting, "Ana Maria," She said, acknowledging her but no more than was necessary. 

    "Been busy," she said, "How's business?" 

    "Has been booming, my dear," Scarlet caught a look of disgust flash across Ana Maria's face. "Although not at present," 

    "Reason being?"    

    "Well it's that blasted pirate friend of yours. The bastard who came back to life," Ana Maria's ears pricked up, "Scared the lot off, well those with scores with him, which is most. They reckon he'll be headed here next, to take his revenge." Ana Maria raised her eyebrows, "Is that why your _crew _have landed? Hoping to meet up with him?" 

    "It would appear you are mistaken," Ana Maria said, "For we are leaving tomorrow. We only came here to meet with Martina," 

    "And her friends, of course," Scarlet saw the looks on both of their faces, "Oh yes, everyone knows you are here with the Turners. Awful uproar they caused last time they were in these waters." She leaned in to Marti, "You may be sure you are not the only crew searching for Bootstrap Turner, although you may be alone in your good intentions. Say hello to dear Jack for me, won't you Ana Maria?" And with that parting comment, she left. Ana Maria turned to Marti, 

    "You can befriend whores if you really must," She said, "But the next time you involve me in a conversation with one, I'll be being a lot less… polite." 

    "Wouldn't expect anything less mate." Marti replied. "So what's Tortuga got that the Pearl hasn't? Bad company, it seems. Let's be headed back. Clay were tellin' me he were getting' some kegs while we're here. And I be wanting a drink that don't be costin' me. What say you?"

    "Aye," She agreed, "Before Morton takes his stash," Marti laughed, 

    "Morton? What kind of pirate has a name like Morton?" 

    "He likes to be called, 'Mort'," Ana Maria told her, "He thinks it makes him sound deadly, but really it just makes him sound like his name is Mortimer, or that he spends too much time in France," 

    "Nothing wrong with the French," Marti said, Ana Maria looked at her questionably, "What?" She asked, "Great food, great drink, nice and er… romantic, shall we say, and Parley has saved my hide many a time." She said, causing the pair of them to laugh. 

    "Drinks!" Ana Maria said, "I be feelin me thirst," 

    "Aye, then back to the Pearl."

    Lady Hurst crept down a dark alley keeping an eye on the path behind her. She knew all to well that a well dressed lady such as herself should not be seen lurking at night, so she kept in the shadows. Quite a few turns and dashes across windows later she came to a dead end. Now she really would be in trouble if she was caught. There was a key hole in what appeared to be a boarded up entrance. She pulled the key from her glove where she had hidden it and slid it in, taking care not to make the slightest noise. The key turned smoothly, though the lock looked rusted as if it had not been used for many years. She removed the key and waited expectantly. When nothing happened she glanced around uncertainly. Then, she slipped her fingers in the small gaps around the edge of the board/door and tugged it open. It did, and made an enormously loud creaking sound. She sighed, 

    "So much for the quietly-quietly approach," She whispered to herself. "Oh well," Knowing that she would be heard now anyway, she pulled the entire door off and threw it across the alley. Quickly grabbing the wooden box inside she slipped out of the alley and into one she knew had more than one exit. Hearing voices she quickened her pace. 

    She tripped up, twice, and proceeded to tear off her boots, then her skirt, revealing dark green leggings. She looked quite strange with her corset and her new attire. The box nearly slipping out of her hands as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her, she stripped off her right glove to get a better grip, but left her left one on. Seeing the street ahead of her she unbelievably quickened her pace and made it just in time to see three very large, and very angry men rounding the corner behind her. _Well done to them, _she thought, _I see the race is not over yet, but do they really believe they stand a chance? _She pulled a knife from a belt around her waist, and leapt into the air, spinning mid flight. In less than a second's glance she threw it, landed and kept running. She head a groan and a satisfying thud followed by the slowing and stop of two sets of feet. In her mind she was pushing herself, telling her body what she needed it to do. She rounded another corner, and saw the docks ahead of her. _No! Not yet! I just need to rid myself of this bastard! _She slowed and made out she was tiring, then, just as the man was in range, she stopped dead and dropped to the floor. Being caught off guard, and his senses dulled by alcohol, the man ran straight past her and his sword swung straight over her head. She stuck her hand up and caught the handle, twisted it and imbedded it in the mans leg. He cried out in pain and grabbed his leg, falling to the floor. He cursed after her as she walked away. She turned back, 

    "My friend, you should think yourself lucky that your injury is not fatal. Also that you did not catch me, for what is held within this box would destroy you." Taking her glove off and letting it go in the air, it floated over and landed on the floor in front of him, causing him too look up at her. In the moonlight, he could make out a mark burned into the skin above her left wrist. "Not only that," She said, "But you be playin' with fire the day you chase after a pirate." The white, scarred brand of the letter 'P' flashed in the dim light of the moon and she ran off to the docks.

 Thought about just uploading the one new chapter, but I'm not that mean! 

Thanks for the reviews, 

U-ne-korn, 

PED Sarah, dude, I looked at your profile and you've got quite a CV of stories! I promise I am going to read some of yours as soon as I possibly can because I really want to read them!

Ray Roberts, MTI rocks! And Marti is a cool character. There is another one being added as we speak, who's cool, because she seems to know everything, but I have to admit, out of my new characters, Marti is my favourite. As for reviewers, tell me about it. I'd love to have a huge long list to reply to, but then again, not having that means the ones I have are all the more important! (But I'd still like some more, hint hint) 

Glad your enjoying it,

Savvy Z 


	8. 8

By the time Ana Maria and Marti actually got back to the ship, it was dark. They had found an inn on the way back and got distracted for quite some time. When they got back, Ana Maria was ever so slightly tipsy, but Marti had not drunk enough. For such a small person, she could certainly handle her drink. 

    Will was with Elizabeth, deep in conversation. She nodded toward Marti when she saw her, and Will looked straight at her. His expression was unreadable, and suddenly, all traces of alcoholic influence seemed to evaporate from her. And her mouth went dry as he approached her. 

    "Martina," He said, "Could I have a word?" Marti swallowed, 

    "O…Kay…" She said slowly. She saw a familiar look in his eye. She had seen it before, but not in his eyes. She followed him to the other side of the ship where he sat on an empty keg. 

    "I'd like to apologise for… blaming you for all of this. I know you were only following orders." Marti narrowed her eyes. This was not what she was expecting. Yelling, arguing, bit of painful memory recovery maybe, but an apology? She shook herself mentally. She needed to stop seeing Bill and start seeing William Turner _junior_. 

    "It's… it's alright," She said, uncomfortably. She was not used to people apologising, unless it was in the 'I'll buy you a drink' sort of way that she generally didn't need to say anything back except 'make it a big one.' She had no idea what to do in this situation, because she had never been in it before. So instead, she changed the subject. "You really do look like your dad you know." 

    Will smiled, "You must be at least the tenth person to tell me that."

    "Sorry," She said, "But it's true. Lots younger of course, and your hairs a little different. Bill's is a lot more wavy. You know, it's like, ringletted at the ends. It'd be kind of girly if he wasn't so… you know, ungirly looking." She paused, "I'm not doing to well am I?"

    "Not really," Will said, laughing. 

    "What?" She asked, indignantly, "I be trying here!" 

    "I know," Will said, "You don't appear to be doing very well." Marti sighed, 

    "Okay then, maybe I should just accept the apology, and go get drunk." 

    "And you learned everything you know from my father?" Will asked, 

    "Aye." 

    "So why are we trying to find him again?" 

    Jack half sat, half leant against a rail the opposite side of the Gully to the rest of his crew. He was half in the shadow and was watching them, regarding them interacting with each other. 

    Ana Maria was with them, laughing with them, drinking with them, and eating with them. She was behaving the exact way a pirate should, even though she was the only woman in the room. Barring Elizabeth, who was laughing politely when it was expected, and drinking a glass of water. She always kept an eye on the door waiting for Will until he came in, followed by Marti. Marti shoved her way between Ana Maria and Mort, whispering something in her friends ear and laughing loudly. She pulled Mort's drink away from him when he wasn't looking, and replaced it with her empty one, eyeing him until he realised and took it back roughly. Mr Gibbs, the oldest member of the crew downed drink after drink, and was currently speaking to Elizabeth, telling her one of his many tales of the sea. 

    The other crew members, Cotton and Clay, sat silently. Cotton because he had no choice, and Clay because he was staring back at Jack. The captain snapped out of his trance like state and looked back at Clay questioningly. The other man discreetly flicked a finger towards the window where the nights stars were glittering. A silhouette floated past and disappeared. It caught Jack's eye and appeared again. Then it stopped in the window and he recognised it as being an owl, a dark brown owl, with wings almost as the sky behind it. The others had noticed it too, but before they could do anything, Jack had stood up and reached the window, and was taking a note from the birds leg. As soon as he had detached it the bird flew off. 

    "How strange," Elizabeth said, "What…" Jack had opened the note and was reading it quickly. It was quite short. 

    _My friend, _it read, 

    _I have some news for you. I know you are currently in Tortuga and I hope this note reaches you before you leave. You must not sail for Aztec cove, you must set course for Isla de Muerta at once. I shall meet you there. _

_    Make haste my friend, for we do not have much time. _

_    Lady Amelia Hurst. _

"Gibbs, the sails," Jack said, "Set a course, we're leaving now." Gibbs stood up, wobbling, 

    "A course to where Cap'n?" He asked. The crew were sobering up. They knew the look on Jack's face. It meant that if they did not do exactly as he ordered, there would be hell to pay, and he wouldn't be the one causing it. 

    "Isla de Muerta," Jack said. Will, who did not know the expression on his friends face, but he knew he did not like it. 

    "Jack we must sail for Aztec cove, my father…" 

    "Is not anywhere near Aztec cove," Jack said, turning to the crew. "On deck!" He yelled, "Set the sails! Move your feet you scallywags! Move!" Jack started to follow them out when Marti stopped him, 

    "What was in that note?" Jack thrust it in her hands, she read quickly, 

    "Who's… Savannah?"

    "Exactly." 

    "Is Bill at Isla de Muerta?"

    "If he was, do you think Savannah would be doin' tellin' us to meet her there." Marti agreed. 

    "So what do we do?" Jack folded the letter and slipped it inside his coat. 

    "We meet her." He said, "And then we find Turner."

    Savannah was again sat on a beach. The beach was attached to an island. One that went by the name of Isla de Muerta. Oh yes, she had visited the cavern, she had opened the chest, and seen the gold. Was she tempted? Did she look away in disgust? No. What she did, was smile. She smiled because when she laid eyes on Barbosa she knew that he would not die a particularly noble death. Treasure, obsessed with treasure, the old crew of the Pearl was. What would the new one be like? Seeing the size of the cavern, she knew that there must have been a great deal more gold there than just what was in that singular chest. Jack Sparrow had never been that greedy. Knowing there was a curse on a hoard, he would not take it. Pirates are superstitious men by nature, but she was the contradiction. She was a woman, and she was a pirate. It was bad luck for her to set foot on a ship, but she did not believe that. She believed very strongly that it was bad luck for her to set foot on any enemies ship, but her own… it was not very plausible. 

    The stolen box was on the sand in front of her folded legs. She had been taking the time to study it. 

    It wasn't that big, for what it was. It was oak. It had gold locks and clasps, and very intricately designed patterns etched on the surface. She could open it. She knew she could, but she hadn't done. She did not fear what was inside, but she knew that now was not the time to open it. Instead she picked up a feather, a black owl feather, and dropped it just above the centre of the box. It floated down at first, and then stopped. It started spinning slowly, and then rose above the box, and back down again. When she picked it up, it was just a normal feather again, which floated down to the ground when she dropped it. She lifted the box and shook it. Not something you would expect to happen, but she did it anyway. There was no sound, but when she put it back down she heard a distinct rattle. 

    "Ha," She smiled, "I like this box." 


	9. 9

The trip to Isla de Muerta took almost three days. The Black Pearl wad the fastest ship in the Caribbean, and Jack was putting her to the test. He did not really know why it was that he was trying so hard to get to the Island so fast. Bootstrap had waited for over ten years. Surely a few more days wouldn't make any difference. Will was putting off the actual meeting because he obviously had no idea what was going to happen. And Marti… Well, Marti was a confusing person. She wanted to see her friend, but like the rest of the crew, she knew the odds were not good. The odds I'm talking about are the ones that say, there's a one in a thousand chance that when you meet the man who's been dead at the bottom of the ocean for ten years, he _won't _try to slice your head off. 

    Jack spent the entire duration of the trip at the helm, with only a bottle of Rum for company. One which he hadn't actually touched since the journey began. The instant he saw the Island in the distance, his shoulders relaxed for the first time in days. 

    "Land ho!" Ana Maria cried, who was in the crows nest. Jack looked up and saw the look in her eyes. The last time she had spotted Isla de Muerta, the situation had been dire. And there was not telling that it was going to be a barrel of laughs this time. "At least there be no bloodthirsty pirates this time." She called down to him. 

    "No," Jack said, pulling out his telescope, "What there _be, _is Savannah Flint." He lowered his telescope. Ana Maria slid down the pole from the nest and stepped up next to him. 

    "Failed to mention that point did you Captain?" 

    "What's wrong with Savannah Flint?" Ana Maria sighed, 

    "Nothing wrong with her." She said, "But every time you mention her name we almost get killed. Very painfully." Jack smiled, and laughed mirthlessly,   

    "But," He said, "We haven't yet." 

    "Yet." 

    Savannah spotted the Pearl through her telescope before Ana Maria saw the Island. She knew the ship's silhouette well, and had seen it on the horizon many a time, often when it hadn't seen her. She stood up and walked slowly to the edge of the water, to await the jolly boats.

    "Who is that?" Elizabeth asked Jack, who was in the same boat as Will and herself. 

    "Savannah Flint," Jack said, "I tell ye, there'll be more women on this ship soon then there be men."

    "This is not going to go well," Ana Maria said, to Marti, who nodded. Clay, who was behind them leant forward and whispered in Ana Maria's ear, 

    "Why do you say that?" 

    "That," She told him, "Is Savannah Flint. She be one of the captains oldest… friends."

    "Do we sense some rivalry for the dear captains affections?" Ana Maria ignored him, whilst Marti looked absolutely disgusted. 

    "No." Ana Maria said simply, "You clearly have not met the woman before." 

    "Bit of a wench is she?" 

    "No!"

    "Pity."   

    "Clay," Marti said, exasperated, "Savannah Flint is probably one of the best pirates ever to live."

    "Well I've never heard of her." Marti smiled smugly, 

    "Exactly." 

    "Her grandfather was Captain John Flint," Ana Maria felt the boat move as Clay jolted at the mention of the famous pirate's name. 

    "Then I sincerely hope she takes after her grandmother's side of the family." 

    Savannah greeted the Captain by handing him the box she was holding. Looking slightly confused he held it, then felt an overwhelming wave of… something pass over him. He did not know what it was, but instantly, he knew that this was no longer just a man hunt. 

    One by one, the rest of the crew, barring Cotton, Gibbs and Mort, stepped ashore. Will received no more than a glance from Savannah, and she nodded to acknowledge the girls. 

    "Martina," She said, "Ana Maria," 

    "Captain Sparrow," She said, "We must not stay here. We have to get to Isla de Corona as soon as possible." Jack was still looking at the box. 

    "What is in this box?"

    "I'm sure the answer to that question can wait." 

    "What's in the box Flint?" Jack's gaze left the box and bored intently into her eyes. She held his gaze, but knew that there was no contest. 

    "The way to Isla de Corona," 

    "Then why not open it here?" 

    "I would have thought you would want to return to your ship." 

    "When I know that your box isn't going to blow it up." Savannah gave in. 

    "Fine." She said, "But you must not open it." Her gaze left Jack and moved to Will. "William Turner," She said. It was not a question, it was a fact. 

    "I must open the box?" 

    "What is so terrible that can be contained in such a small box?" Elizabeth asked. Savannah glanced at her, then at Jack, 

    "Not a pirate, is she?" Will said something to Elizabeth, and Savannah decided to enlighten her further. "Pirates are not only 'superstitious' as you people so often call it, but we are also very good at staying alive. Due to our superstitious habits of course."

    "You have to open the box Will," Jack said to him. 

    "And how am I to know it won't blow up in my face, or something worse?" 

    "I say it won't." Savannah said. Will gave her a look that basically told her where to go. He did not trust her. A woman, no, pirate he had just met on a beach, carrying a suspicious box and claiming to know the whereabouts of his supposedly dead father. _Sure, _he thought, _Why not put my life and my wife's in her hands? _

    "Will," Jack said, "You should know that Savannah has never lied to me in her life. Not once." 

    "Really?" Will asked, "Well done." In the last few days, Will's mind had been in so much confusion and turmoil that he didn't even have the heart to put enough humour into the insult. He looked at the box and took it from Jack. "If we all die," He said, "It's your fault." 

    "Oh no lad," Jack said, "It's your bloody father's." 

    "Will placed the box on the sand and lifted the clasps. The box was open, well, unlocked anyway. No one looked at anything but the slit of light that was creeping out from the inside of the box. Will slowly lifted the lid and revealed what appeared to be… light. It was light, inside the box, but it didn't light up the beach. Not even the faces of the onlookers. It was just… there. Confused, Will looked about to over closer, even try to touch it when Savannah grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. 

    "Wait." She said. They did so. The light seemed to swim around in the box, floating from one side to another. Then, it started to move in a circle, until it became a swirling vortex, hypnotising the crew. Savannah stood at Jack's side and touched him arm, barely making contact, but he backed away. His eyes glinted as a sudden sense of realisation dawned on him. 

    "Get down," He said, quietly. "GET DOWN!" His words cut through the silence and brought the minds of his crew back from wherever it was that they had gone. Every one there rolled, leapt or ran just as the vortex rose and shot up into the sky, the wave of power it created sent them all flying further away. The light disappeared and everyone shook themselves back together. Automatically, the crew all looked to Savannah, who did not return the favour. She was staring up at the sky, in the kind of what that was infectious. 

    Among the stars in the sky, there were new ones, that had not been there before. 

    "What was that about nothing blowing up, Jack?"

Way hey! New reviewer!

Michelle, thanks for your review, and I no, the lovey dovey stuff gets boring after a while doesn't it? The is going to be romance in this story, but it is far from easy! 

U-ne-korn, wow, you could be related to Savannah! You never know, she does seem a bit… well, you know what I mean, who knows what she got up to! 

Loving ya always, 

Savvy Z


	10. 10

"What in heavens name was that?" Mr Gibbs had seen the light shoot up into the air. 

    "Batten down the hatches!" 

    "Bloody parrot! Mort! The jolly boat, let's get ashore. Cotton, you stay here, keep an eye on the ship,"

"Batten down the hatches!"

    "And shut up that parrot!" 

    Elizabeth pointed to the stars, "What are they?"

    "That's our treasure map." Savannah told her. 

    The jolly boat carrying Gibbs and Mort reached the shore. Mr Gibbs helped Elizabeth to her feet, while Mort just stood and stared. Jack was looking out over the ocean, as if he had realised something no one else had. 

    "Captain? What is it?" Ana Maria, who was wet after having landed in the water asked him. 

    "We're going to find out what's beyond the horizon,"

    The stars glittered in the night sky, forming their pathway, hopefully leading to the unknown Isla de Corona. Will was on deck, this eyes reflecting the stars, glinting in the moonlight. 

    _That's the way to find my father, _he thought. _We'll get there, and we'll find my father, I have no doubt of that. These people knew him, well, some of them did. And they knew him well. Much better than I did. They believe he is alive, and knowing that, Now I do too. _

_    This must be the first time anything like this have ever happened. Trust it to happen to me. What do they expect me to say? Oh yes, let's go and find my father who lied to me every day of my life in his letters. Merchant. Ha, closest he got to a merchant was probably running one through. _

_    How do I know I will like him when I find him? Parents aren't always the easiest people to get on with. And how do I know he will like me? If he felt he had to lie to me, then maybe he doesn't care, or didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth. What am I supposed to say? Hey dad, long time no see? _

_    And what about Elizabeth? Again, it's my fault that she is aboard a ship full of pirates, that she's on a dangerous 'adventure', and could easily get killed. How can I expect her to want to go though all of that just for me? _

"Will," His thoughts were interrupted by his wife, who made him jump when she placed a warm hand on his cold arm. He turned quickly to face her. 

    She could see in his face that he had been thinking about everything, and she was worried about him. 

    "I always knew who I was," She said, quietly, "Where I was from. I can't imagine what this must be like for you, but I want to be here with you." She said, "If you still want…"

    "What?" Will's mind caught up with his ears, 

    "With all of this happening, with your life changing…"

    "Elizabeth," Will said, "I was thinking that it would be the other way around. You have everything to lose staying here with me,"

    "No I don't." She said, "I have plenty of unimportant things to lose. But if I didn't stay, I'd lose the only thing I care about keeping." 

    "We don't have to do this," Will held her face in his hands, "We can return to Port Royale, forget everything. Go back to the way it was."

    "No we can't. You couldn't do that. Not now we know what we do." She took his hands from her cheeks and held them in hers. "Don't think I don't know what you are doing," She said, "You are not going to chicken out from meeting your father." 

    "I am not trying to 'chicken out'!" Will said, a smile creeping to his lips. Elizabeth pushed him away playfully, 

    "Yes you are,"

    "No I'm not," Will grabbed her and kissed her. Breaking their embrace, Elizabeth said, 

    "You are," And then there was silence. For quite a long time. 

    Savannah stood in the middle of the Galley, glancing around, taking in her surroundings. 

    "Hungry?" Clay stepped out from behind the crates. "No? Then why are you here?" 

    "Calm down Mr Clay," Savannah said, coolly, but with a small smile. "I always said the Galley was the best part of a ship." 

    "Really?" 

    "Really."

    "Not the helm? Not on deck? I find that hard to believe." 

    "The galley is the centre of the ship. It's where everyone meets, it's where every one talks."

    "Ah,"

    "You discovered my secret." She smiled, 

    "You do seem like the type of person who likes to know what's going on."

    "Likes to? My dear Mr Clay, I _always _know what's going on."

    "Oh aye?"

    "Aye."

    "Then you'd be able to tell me some things, seeing as we both share a love of knowledge." Clay said, hinting, "Why be we going off on this mad hunt followin' stars when all we have to go one is a box of magic tricks?" 

    "The captain seems to think it's a good idea," Savannah said vaguely. She was not planning on mentioning anything else on the subject. "And the captain always has the last word, right?"

    "Right." Clay smiled. He knew from the start he was not really going to get any information out of Savannah. He had met people like her. They kept themselves to themselves, and concentrated on other peoples lives instead of their own. 

    There is one very important fact to be known about Thomas Clay. He is an excellent judge of characters. And he is also an even more excellent judge of bad characters. He was drawn to dangerous people, because he found them interesting. 

    _Savannah Flint is a complicated woman, _he thought, _and it's often people like her who end up exploding because of built up pressure in their minds. They concern themselves too much with other peoples problems and ignore their own, until they build up to such an extent that they become uncontrollable. Now, this would be an interesting person to have a nervous breakdown. _

"What are you thinking about?" 

    "Nothing." 

    "I can well believe that." Savannah stood up and left the galley. Clay watched her leave and then went back to his work. 

    Jack caught Savannah leaving. 

    "Going somewhere?" His voice made her turn around. 

    "Cabin."

    "Need some company?" Jack gave her a cheeky grin that only he could pull of without getting smacked in the mouth. Savannah raised her eyebrows,

    "We have known each other for over nineteen years, and still you spend most of our conversations trying to bed me."

    "I've always thought absence makes the heart grow fonder luv, and you've been absent for quite some time." Savannah did not smile. 

    "Yes. I have." 

    "How about coming to _my _cabin?"

    "For what?"

    "For whatever you want,"

    "In that case," Savannah drew herself up closer to him and whispered in his ear. "I'll be havin' some of that fine vintage brandy you be keeping locked away." Jack grinned, 

    "It's not my way to take a woman when she's drunk luv," 

    "That's good then, isn't it?"

I will take your advice to heart, to be sure Rae Roberts, and than ye for y' review!!! 


	11. 11

"Hey ho, and up she rises, hey ho, and up she rises, earl-y in the morning!" 

    "You're as bad as the captain with them songs," Ana Maria told Marti as she finished plaiting her hair. Marti shook her head about so that the braids fell about her face. 

    "Great minds think alike." She said. At this point Clay came in, a cocky grin on his face,  

    "You girls must be bored." He said, "Allow me to offer myself as a distraction." The girls groaned, 

    "You never give up, do you?" Marti said to him, shaking her head so much that her newly plaited hair hit him in the face. 

    "How long have you been up here?"

    "About… ten hours?"

    "More like twelve."

    "You've been plaiting your hair for twelve hours?" 

    "Well we'd be bored out of our minds if we didn't." 

    "We need a good big ship to go raid," Ana Maria said, "There was a Spanish one on the horizon earlier, and Captain Sparrow just told Gibbs to keep to the course. He'd better be careful, he doesn't want to have a bored crew. Who knows what we might get up to?" She laid back against the rigging, yawning slightly,

    "Oh yes," Clay said sarcastically, "Jack can run in fear because the girls might get so bored they plait his hair!" Marti stood up and walked over to him. He was about to say something to her, but Marti didn't _stop_ walking until she had gotten right up close to him and then kicked out her leg. She hit him just at the right angle so that he lost his balance and tumbled, quite pathetically, over the edge of the rails. There was a brief silence, and then an enormous splash. Marti's sides shook as she let go of her laughter. Soon enough she was laughing uncontrollably. The two of them stuck their heads over the side too see him floundering in the water. 

    "Él es hermoso," Marti said, "Doesn't he look handsome?" 

    "Very nice Clay," Ana Maria said, laughing. Jack and Savannah stuck their heads out the window below. 

    "Could you refrain from drowning me crew luv?" Jack said, "I wouldn't want to be taking this ship into Isla de Corona al by me onesies now,"

    "Aye sir!" Marti called back, "It'd be me pleasure to help our wondrous crew man back onboard."

    Soon after she had said this, Jack and Savannah heard yet another splash and more laughing, this time from Clay. 

    "Clay you bloody bastard!" 

    Jack sighed and pulled the shutters closed on the cabin window. 

    "Nice crew." Savannah said, 

    "A fine crew."

    "I was speaking to Mr Gibbs about that actually. _Apparently, _I'm not saying it's true, but apparently these men, and Ana Maria took up the offer of this ship because at the time, they were the only ones on Tortuga crazy enough to sail under you." 

    "Full of compliments today aren't you?" Jack said, sarcastically, sitting down in his chair with a thud, "You were saying…"

    "So we…" Savannah never finished her sentence. She stood up and walked to the window, her eyes fixed on the star they had been following. "What on earth?" Jack followed her gaze, 

    "I knew this wasn't going to be as simple as it sounded." 

    The pair from the captains cabin joined the rest of the crew on deck. They were all looking up at the sight Savannah had spotted through the window. 

    "What is it?"

    "It's our first obstacle." Savannah told Will. 

    "Our first?"

    "This isn't going to be a short trip Mr Turner," Savannah said, "Come on," there was a hint of a look of amusement on her face. "You didn't think they were going to make this easy, did you?"


	12. 12

The Black Pearl, one of the most magnificent ships in the entire ocean was being tossed about in the storm like a dingy. This was no ordinary storm though. The clouds above were red. Blood red. And the lightning seemed to be aimed at the ship. Jack had taken the helm, and every one was desperately trying to keep the ship from capsizing. Will had a chance to glance out over the water, and saw two ships that were not having as much luck as they were. One had already been ripped apart my the storm, and the other… the other was sinking, fast, but he could just make out a small life boat, tossing in the waves, over turned, with a small figure holding the ropes for her life.

     "Jack!" Will yelled over the storm, that Jack was riding with the utmost skill. "Jack! There's some one in the water!" 

     "It'll be us if we can't keep the ship afloat!" Jack shouted back, "They'll have to wait!"

     "Jack, if they wait they'll be dead!" Elizabeth was clinging to the doorframe behind the helm, "we have to help," 

     "Elizabeth, I can't let go, unless you want to take a trip to see Davy Jones." Savannah slid down the pole of the main sail. 

     "I've got it," She said. Jack looked at her apprehensively. He didn't look to keen to hand over the helm of his ship. "Jack, just go save the girl. Maybe you'll get lucky, you aren't going to be getting much action with any of us women." Jack thought for less than a second, 

     "Alright," He said, "But just so you know, it's my heroic nature that's my reasoning here, not… anything else." He drawled, keeping a firm hold on the wheel until he was sure Savannah has it, "Just don't sink my ship, Savvy?"

     "Absolutely savvy," Savannah adjusted her grip so that the wheel couldn't slip. "Now go!" 

     Jack joined Marti on deck, who had been trying to throw a rope to the girl in the water. 

     "She be either a very bad catch, or she be missing on purpose," Marti told him. "You give it a try." 

     Jack took the rope and look at it, then at the bedraggled girl in the water. Then, tying it to his belt, he did a magnificent swallow dive into the waves before anyone could say anything, 

     "Jack!" Marti yelled over they edge of the ship, holding on tightly as the deck lurched again. "Jack!" There was no sign for what seemed like an age, but then Marti could just make out the captains form heading toward the tiny life boat. He was a strong swimmer, but every time he got close, a wave would rise up and throw him backwards and under water, when he would come back up again, gasping for air, and go again. 

     Eventually, he reached the boat, and was exhausted. He was trying not to breath to deeply because the waves were crashing around him. He grabbed the rope the girl was holding and caught hold of her arm. She screamed, partly in shock, and partly because he had touched her. 

     "Get off me!" She screamed at him, still holding on the boat. 

     "I hate to tell you this luv, but if I get off you, we'll both be dead," Jack said, amazed that this woman was throwing insults toward her rescuer. Maybe she was just scared, 

     "I'd rather die than be in the hands of a pirate!" Not scared then. Just stupid. 

     "Listen luv," Jack was getting aggravated, and he had noticed that his toes were going numb in the water, "I'm rescuin' you right now, and there's nothin' you can say to stop me, savvy?" This was all too much for the girl, and at that instant, from terror, and exhaustion, and the cold, she fainted. Jack caught her and held on tight. "Not the best thing you could have done," He said, mainly to himself. 

     "Jack!" Marti's voice rose over the waves, "The rope!" Jack felt a tug around his waist and suddenly felt relieved. The crew were pulling him back to the ship. He tried to swim, but with someone else in his arms, it was impossible. His head dropped below the water, and it was all he could do to hope and pray that Marti was quick. 

     "I need some help!" Marti yelled. Clay grabbed the rope behind her and started to pull, heaving the captain and his new cargo back on deck. The figures appeared at the edge of the deck on the starboard side. Jack's arms were wrapped tightly around the girls waist, who was still unconscious. Marti pulled him over the side back onto the safety of the pearl. Jack spluttered and emptied his lungs of water, while Clay tried to revive the girl. 

     "She's not drowned," Jack said, glaring at her, "Bloody wench fainted at that jolly boat. Sayin' she didn't _want _to be rescued by a _pirate_." He shifted his glare to Will, "The next time he tells me to save someone, he can take a long walk off a…"

     "All hands below deck!" Savannah's voice drowned Jack's out. "Quickly! Get below deck!"

     "I'm captain of this ves-" Jack spotted the enormous wave Savannah had her eyes fixed on, "All hands below deck! Teeny, take the lass wi' ye," 

     "What about you?"

     "I just said, I'm the captain didn't I? Get below deck!" Marti did as she was told, because she had no intension of becoming shark bait. Jack swung himself up to the helm and grabbed one side of it. 

     "Get below deck Flint," He said, 

     "You need my help." 

     "That's an-"

     "Hold your breath!" Jack instinctively did as she said, and felt the pressure build up as the wave reached them. Savannah's hands slipped off the wheel and she grabbed his coat. Eventually, the pair of them were wrapped tightly to the helm, holding on to each other for dear life. Savannah knew that when the wave passed, it was going to be harder to hold on than it was at that moment, and as she felt it start to rush back, she held on so tight that her knuckles were white. The pair of them gasped for air when it was available and both collapsed onto the deck, gulping the salty air into their lungs. The storm was over. 

     "What did you think to that then?" Savannah asked, when she had got her breath back. 

     "Oh, if everything's like that, this'll be over in no time." Jack said, "You?"

     "Absolutely," She gasped, "Piece of cake."

     "Rum cake." 

     "Rum truffles."

     "That sounds very French."

     "What can I say. I have an education." 

     "Are you okay? Jack? Savannah?" Marti opened the trap door between decks, 

     "No," Jack said back, standing up, "We're currently takin' up residence in Davy Jones' locker." 

     "They're okay," Marti said, "Where did the storm go?" Ana Maria followed her out, 

     "Who cares? As long as it isn't here." 

     "The sky's clear as a summers day," Marti said, "That cannot be right, can it?"

     "I have a feeling that there's going to be a lot of things not right for a while Teeny," Jack told her, "Now where's that scrawny girl I probably caught pneumonia for?" His face looked grim, and Marti could see he was genuinely annoyed, 

     "With Elizabeth. She woke up when the wave hit, and won't talk to any of us except Elizabeth." 

     "Bloody women." Jack said, then, dismissed the thought from his mind, "Right men! Let's get this fine vessel ship-shape! Gibbs, take the helm, Mort, Ana, hoist the main sail," He looked at his compass. "We've been thrown off course. Come on you dogs! We've lost time!" Marti, Clay and Cotton were left on deck, with Will stood between decks in the trap doorway, and Savannah stood behind Gibbs at the helm. "You two," He said, pointing to Clay and Cotton, "check the ship over, I don't want us getting' to this bloody island and sinkin' wi'out getting' what we're goin' for." The two men disappeared in different directions, Cottons Parrot circled Jack's head a few times cawing random profanities before taking off after it's master. Jack turned to face his remaining crew members. "Anyone feel like sharin' any theories?" 

     "Even I haven't seen a storm like that before," Savannah said, "And I have seen a lot of strange things." 

     "One thing be certain, that weren't any normal storm. But then this be no normal voyage. We be sailin' for an island no one's ever heard of, in search of a man who's been dead for eleven years, with a crew of pirates, English _ladies _and the occasional blacksmith. And Savannah, whatever she be callin' herself these days." Marti said, "And we've just added another inconvenience to the mix. That bloody woman, who would help matters a lot if she stopped screaming!" She raised her voice, and the screams were lowered to general sounds of anger. 

     "Don't look at me," Jack said, pointing at Will accusingly, "It was your bloody wife who made me save her." 

     "I think she may be regretting it," Will could see his wife trying to reason with the woman below the deck. 

     "By the powers!" Jack said, throwing his hands up in the air, "Will, Teeny, go down there and help Elizabeth. Put that woman in one of the cabins and make sure you lock the door. Savannah, you are coming with me." 

     "Jack, this really isn't the time," Savannah started, then saw the look in his eyes and knew he was serious. 

     "I have some questions for you." Jack told her gravely, and walked off toward his cabin, not bothering to check if she was following him. 


	13. 13

Savannah opened the door that has swung shut behind Jack and closed it gently behind her. Jack was sat in his arm chair, and Savannah realised that was the only place to sit in the entire cabin. Or at least, that section of it. 

    "You want to tell me exactly what's goin' on lass?" Jack asked her plainly. Savannah avoided his eyes, 

    "We just survived quite a large storm, and acquired a new crew member." She said, innocently. Jack raised his eyebrows. 

    "I'm takin' a little trip back in time luv. Let's discuss some things from a bit further back eh?" 

    "Like what?"

    "Like how did I know Bill was alive before every one? How did I know where to go? And how did you get your mits on that map?" Savannah swallowed, 

    "You've er… asked a lot of questions there Jack," She said, 

    "Aye lass, that I have. And I be wantin' some answers." Savannah sighed. 

    "Alright, so maybe I did a bit of sneaking around to get the map, but what makes you think I had anything to do with your knowing about Bill Turner?" 

    "Because, luv, every time something strange goes on, you're usually at the bottom of it." Jack's eyes bored into hers and she looked directly into his. "Look at me and tell me you had nothing to do wi'it, and I'll believe you." Savannah held his gaze for what seemed like an age. Then she gave in. 

    "Alright," She sighed, and launched into the story of how she got the map. The ball, the chase, the hunt, and Jack listened to everything, not taking his eyes off hers the entire time. 

    "And what about the rest?" He said, when she had reached the end of her tale. Savannah shrugged, 

    "Okay, so maybe I did a bit of… dabbling…"

    "I knew it, you've been pullin' your bloody _witch _stunt again." Savannah's eyes grew wide and she hissed, 

    "Sshh! Don't say that word! I am _not _a witch. Witches end up getting' hanged. I just happen to do a bit of 'fortune telling' every now and again. Perfectly legal. A profession, some might say."

    "And all your bloody hoo doo whatcha ma callits?" 

    "_A-ro-ma-thera-pee,_" Savannah said, "It's all the rage in London." 

    "You have an excuse for everything."

    "Aye, that I do." 

    "So it _was _you who set off that… dream I had."

    "You been dreaming about me _again, _Captain Sparrow."

    "You know what I mean."

    "Aye, that were me." She admitted, "It were all me." Jack sighed and shook his head, 

    "I supposed there's no hope in tellin' ye never to lie to me again, is there lass?" He asked her, knowing the answer. "Thought as much. But listen to this. You be on my ship now, and sailin' under my rules. And ye might lie to me in future, ye might skip around the truth in the present, but for the remainder o' this voyage, I don't want you to lie to me, got that?" Savannah knew how he was feeling. He had the safety of the crew on his shoulders, and he had been asking them to trust the word of a complete stranger without question, when she was lying to him, and he knew it. 

    "Alright Jack," She said, "You have me word on that." Jack smiled and nodded, knowing that she meant it. 

    "Right then," He said, "Now what do you supposed I should do about that pain in the- that woman?" 

    Elizabeth stood outside the door of the cabin they had locked their new passenger in and leant against the door. 

    "You wouldn't think someone so small would have such a set of lungs on her," Marti said, "And I resent being called a 'disgusting disgrace to my gender and an abomination to the human race'."    

    "I think she just knows how to fight in a corner," Elizabeth said, 

    "Remind you of anyone?" Jack asked demurely as he joined them. "You warmed up slightly since our first meeting didn't you lass?" 

    "I don't know what you mean," Elizabeth said, innocently, 

    "I think I was somewhere in the region of '_despicable_', yes, that was the word you used, I think." 

    "Only after you tried to choke me with your chains," Elizabeth protested, 

    "I may be a pirate, but far be it from me to rid the world of a girl as pretty as you luv," He slid the bolt on the door. "Now let's see what happens with this one." He jolted back as a vase smashed against the doorframe, narrowly missing his head. "Nice to see you chose a room with no dangerous objects then."

    "This is so typical," Marti said, when Jack closed the door. 

    "What?" Will asked her, confused, "What's typical?" 

    "Oh, not that," Marti saw Will glance at the door to the cabin, "It's that bloody storm. My hair's been wrecked." Elizabeth glanced at her husband, who's eyes caught hers. She rolled hers and Will shook his head. Elizabeth turned to Marti, 

    "Marti, I have to say you are the most unusual pirate I have ever met."

    "Why thank ye," Marti said, bowing graciously, "And now, I be hungry. How about we leave the Captain to go about his… duties and we go get some eats?"

    Jack stepped into the room and closed the door lightly behind him. He saw his rescuee in the corner of the room, her hands loaded with an empty bottle. 

    "Easy lass, that be no way to treat your rescuer." He said, a smile creeping to his mouth. By the look on this girl's face, he could tell he liked her already. Her eyes were filled with fire, and they were glaring right at him. She looked a lot taller than she was at first glance. She was actually tiny. Marti was a small person, but this girl could be called scrawny. She looked so young, and Jack wondered how some one so young could yell so loud, and throw so hard. "How old are you luv?"

    The girl looked at him in disgust, 

    "If you think I would devouch that information to _any one, _let alone a _pirate_, you are sadly mistaken." Jack grinned, 

    "Alright then lass, how do you feel about givin' me your name?" 

    "Not particularly positive." 

    "Well then, I can think of plenty of other things to call you luv, if you'd rather that?" 

    "I want to get off this sorry excuse for a ship! Now!" Jack folded his arms across his chest. 

    "Now then luv, that might not be entirely possible. You see, we happen to be in the middle of the ocean."

    "I'll take my chances." 

    "You're either still in shock, or very, very stupid." Jack told her plainly. 

    "How dare you?"

    "Oh I dare luv," Jack said, "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a pirate. I dare. Now are ye going to be tellin' me yer name?" The girl glared at him, 

    "Rosaline Meredith-Jones. Lady, Rosaline Meredith-Jones." Jack fought the urge to comment. 

    "Well miss Jones," He said, catching Rosaline jolt when he said her name, "I be Jack Sparrow, Captain, Jack Sparrow. And this sorry excuse for a ship be called the Black Pearl. And I have absolutely no intention of throwing you overboard, no matter how strong the temptation gets." 

    "Then I request that you leave me in peace, until some one rescues me." 

    "Rescues you? Who do you expect will come to rescue you luv? In case you didn't notice, yer ship ain't exactly floatin' the right side of the ocean. More like, under it." Rosaline's expression was unreadable, but she was not glaring at Jack any longer. In fact, she was doing everything to avoid looking at him. 

    "Just leave me alone," She said quietly, "Please." Jack was not used to some one asking him to leave. Telling him to get out her could deal with, swords, guns he could deal with, but this? He looked down and considered this, before leaving the room silently. Rosaline waited until she was sure he was gone and then collapsed on the floor, flooding it with silent tears. 


	14. 14

"So who is she?" Savannah asked Jack when he joined them. Jack shrugged, 

    "'Er name's 'Rosaline Meredith-Jones,'" He said, "Don't like pirates very much." 

    "Not many people do Jack," Marti said, "I think that maybe that's the point. Or so I have been told." She shrugged, "She'll come round." 

    "I don't know," Elizabeth said, "She seemed quite set in her ways." 

    "Captain," Clay put down his drink, "Be you interested in a little wager?" Jack grinned, 

    "What be you placin' bets on now Mr Clay?" He asked him, amused. 

    "The new lass," He said, "I bets you beds her by the end of this foolhardy voyage." Elizabeth spluttered and covered her mouth. Marti leant in and whispered to her, 

    "Pirate company," 

    "Alright then," Jack said to Clay, much to the disgust of Elizabeth, "I'll see that bet. What be the terms?" 

    "You bed her by the time we get back to Tortuga, and I buys you rounds for a week. No catch." He held out his hand to the Captain, who took it. 

    "Alright then. But I warn ye, there be only a small amount of women in the Caribbean who have been able to resist the Sparrow charm." 

    "Yes," Marti said, "And they be all in this room. Says a lot doesn't it?"

    Later that evening, Will and Elizabeth had retired to their cabin. Not being allowed to leave without plenty of rude, and suggestive comments. Of course, they _were _on a pirate ship. Soon after, Savannah left, saying she had things to do, and Cotton, Gibbs and Mort soon left as well. This left Marti, Jack, Ana and Clay sat around the table, with no more alcohol, and only a few scraps of food left on the table. 

    "Think I might be off to me cabin," Clay said, stretching, "Feel like joinin' me Marti?" 

    "Don't flatter yourself Clay," Marti said, "I have my own cabin."

    "Your loss. Ana?"

    "Oh yes, I'm really going to." Ana Maria said, raising her eyebrows. "If I were you I'd just go to bed Clay. Unless you feel like takin' a little moonlight swim." Clay put up his hand in defeat, 

    "Okay, okay, I'm going," He said, "Captain gets all the fun." And with this parting comment he left. Jack sighed, 

    "That ones goin' to be a bloody menace, I tell ye now," Jack said, "He's worse than me."

    "No one's worse than you Jack, don't worry." Marti assured him, stretching. "Hey, did we not aught to take some food to the English girl?" 

    "Rosaline? I doubt she'd eat it, but it's worth a try." Jack suddenly became aware of Marti's eyes on him. "What?"

    "Your little wager with Clay. What be that about?" Jack sighed, 

    "So I made a bet. Since when do I have to ask you?" Ana sunk back into her seat, avoiding the confrontation that she could tell would soon happen. 

    "I'm not saying that, but why would you bet you can bed the English girl? Do you want to?"

    "Teeny, I'm only male," Jack said, defensively, "And this is a long voyage. I have my needs," he joked, but Marti looked disgusted. 

    "So after all the trauma she's been through, you're goin' t' seduce her and be a heartless bastard, just like Clay." Jack frowned, 

    "You're sounding like a bloody Lady," Jack said, "Start thinking like a pirate lass," Marti stood up. 

    "Whatever," She said, "I'm going to bed." And she left without another word. 

    "Women." Jack said. 

    "Hey," Ana protested, "I am still here you know," Jack grinned, 

    "Ana Maria, what is the world comin' to?

    "Couldn't say, Captain." She said, "I thinks Clay's getting' on Marti's nerves. Has been all day." Jack glanced at a plate of food on the corner of the table. 

    "That for our Roz?" He asked. Ana nodded. "Then I'll be takin' it to her." He was almost out of the room when Ana called to him, 

    "Are you really goin' through with that bet?" Jack sighed, 

    "I don' know." He said, "Maybe, depends."

    "Depends?"

    "On whether it happens or not. And if it don't, which from the looks of that girl, looks quite probable. She looks so bloody posh she's probably never been touched in her life. If it don't then all I has to do if buy Clay a few rounds."

    "Sounds like a challenge." Jack faced her, 

    "To tell ye the truth Ana, but mind ye, this goes no further than this room. With all that's goin' on, with Will, and 'is dad an' all, I don't sees much of a point. Not that I couldn't," He said, grinning, "Because I could. But there's more to Captainin' this bloody great ship than just yellin' orders." Ana nodded, but didn't dismiss the thought from her mind that her captain would change his mind at some point. She knew him well enough to know that he became restless very easily. In fact, she had personal experience in the matter. 

    "'Night Cap'n," She said. Then drained what was left of her own drink and gathered her things to retire herself. 

    Will laid in bed staring at the ceiling. His arm was round Elizabeth's shoulders and she was huddled up against his chest. Elizabeth listened to his heart beating, and could feel the rise and fall of his chest. She knew he was awake. Whenever he was awake, she could feel the constant tension in his body, like he was always prepared for something to happen. 

    "What's wrong Will?" She asked him, looking up at him, and twisting his hair in her fingers. Will returned the gesture, running his fingers through her hair, which was down. The only time she ever really wore her hair down was when she slept. 

    "Can't sleep." He muttered, "What about you?" 

    "Can't sleep."

    "Why not?"

    "Because you can't." Will smiled, 

    "Sorry. I'll try harder in future." 

    "Shut up," Elizabeth said, resting her head back on his chest. "Does this feel strange to you?"

    "What?"

    "Being back on this ship. Well, back on any pirate ship really. I mean, it's been almost a year." Will shrugged gently, so as not to disturb her too much, 

    "I haven't really thought about it."

    "Oh, what will everyone say when we get home?" Elizabeth said, laughing, "Oh yes, there's Will and Liz, just back from another random pirate cruise." Will said nothing, and Elizabeth stopped laughing. "You do _want _to go home, don't you?" 

    "Elizabeth, I don't care where I am, as long as I'm with you." Will told her seriously. 

    "But you're not sure if Port Royale's the right place for us."

    "I didn't say that."

    "it's what you're thinking. And maybe you're right. I mean, maybe we do just stay in our 'little house' not doing anything with our money, not really living, like Marti said."

    "So you'd rather live like she does? Going from ship to ship, crew to crew, risking your life every day?"

    "It'd be more interesting than 'formal dinner parties'." Elizabeth joked, "But maybe…"

    "Maybe, we shouldn't think about it." Will said, "Maybe what will be will be, and we can cross that bridge when we come to it." Elizabeth smiled. 

    "You're ever so good at that." 

    "At what?"

    "Avoiding the issue." 

    "I do not avoid the issue."

    "Yes you do." Will kissed her lightly, and she whispered, "You're doing it again…" Will grinned against her mouth, 

    "So are you."


	15. 15

Jack tapped lightly on Rosaline's door. 

    "Roz? Are you awake lass?" Hearing no answer he slid open the lock and opened the door slightly. He saw Rosaline stood inside, her face red from crying. She was wearing a dress that Elizabeth had leant her, and it was slightly to big for her. Her hair had dried and was looking quite bedraggled, and parts of it were stuck down to her forehead. 

    "Just stop doing this, please," She said, no longer angry, no longer upset. It sounded like she had accepted something. "I can't stand you dragging this out."

    "And what would that be?" Jack was genuinely puzzled. 

    "Oh come on," She said, "I know the songs, I know pirates. 'we rape and we pillage,' she quoted. I supposed I was just the unlucky one who ended up on a pirate ship." It took a while for the information to register in Jack's alcohol lined mind. 

    "Wait a minute," He said, putting down the plate, "You think my crew and I are goin' t' rape ye?" Rosaline looked tired, and she didn't look in the mood to be messed around. 

    "Aren't you supposed to be a pirate?" She asked, "Because if you just intend to treat me well until we get wherever you are going then you aren't living up to my expectations." Jack shrugged, and walked over to her, 

    "Well luv, if that's what you want…" Suddenly, Rosaline realised that he was being serious, and that his intentions were not as brutal as she had first thought. As soon as she realised this she got her confidence back. 

    "Don't touch me!" She told him, raising her voice when he got to close for her liking. 

    "Whatever you say lass," Jack put up his hands, and swayed slightly, 

    "You are drunk," She accused him. Jack frowned, 

    "Yes…?" 

    "That's disgusting."

    "Are you sayin' that you're so prim and proper that you ain't been a bit drunk before." Now it was Rosaline's turn to frown. 

    "Alcohol is a vile substance, which clouds the mind and impairs better judgement." She said, as if quoting from a book. 

    "Is that what daddy always told ye?" Jack asked her, and from the look on her face he knew he had hit the nail on the head. "that'd be right. Right before be went to a 'formal dinner' and got absolutely rat faced." Rosaline looked indignant, 

    "You have no right to speak about my father like that," She said, "And I do not have to listen to you." 

    "It's strange how a man's occupation can condemn him in the eyes of a lady, when the man in question has done nothing to harm her." Jack said, "But then, I never did quite understand English society. It's all a bit posh for a lowly pirate like me. All I can do is save your life, give you comfortable quarters and food. Nothin' compared to a lovely wig and a shiny sword is it?" With this, Jack left the plate on the table in the corner of the room, and left Rosaline without another word. 

    When he had gone, she stared at the food. Poisoned? No, if he'd have wanted her dead he would have done so by now. However, the mere thought of eating food prepared by a pirate disgusted her, and she crossed to the other side of the room where there was a small bed, laid down and stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally falling asleep. 

    Savannah stood in the shadows of the corridor, leant against a doorframe. She watched Jack leave Rosaline's quarters and head toward his own cabin. She seemed to be running things through her mind for quite a while, because when Jack had gone, she stared at the door, with a strange expression on her face. Like she wasn't looking at the door, it was just a thing to focus her eyes on. Then, without any indication before hand, she spun on her heel and headed quickly, and silently for her own cabin. 

    Once inside, she walked over to a wooden chest, which she had left on the ship since her last visit, which was over ten years ago. She had hidden the chest in the very deepest levels, and managed to keep it hidden even from Barbosa's unruly crew. Now it was in a cabin, not too far from Jack's, and just across the way from where Marti and Ana Maria slept. 

    She lifted the lid and blew lightly, the layer of dust that had gathered on the top of the contents. She carefully removed a heavy, thick, leather bound book. The corners were scuffed, and the pages brown with age. There was a piece of red ribbon through the centre, marking a page. She opened it carefully, and looked at the page, then out of the window at the stars. She glanced between the two for a few more times, before closing the book, replacing it in the chest, and taking more items from it. She took a pouch from her belt, and took some of the reddish brown powder from it, and blew it out of the window. 

    The wind picked up. Savannah closed her eyes, and let her minds eye see the rest. 

u-ne-korn, I will be checking what the site has done to my stories because the way I'm looking at it now, there is a new paragraph for a new person talking but it could just be me! Good to know your enjoying it, I've just written chapter 30 and it's nearly over, but I keep finding new things that just _have _to happen!

Love ya all, 

Savvy Z


	16. 16

"What was that?" Ana whispered in the darkness. 

    "Hmm?" Marti's voice was thick with sleep, from the bunk above Ana's. 

    "I said what was that?"

    "What was what?" 

    "Didn't you hear it?" Marti moaned and sat up, 

    "Obviously not," She said, "What did it sound like?" Ana sounded wide awake, and completely sober, whereas Marti sounded half asleep and still recovering from a vast intake of alcohol. 

    "Sort of a, swish, swish, ping!" Ana said. Marti rubbed her eyes. 

    "Ana. Go to sleep." She laid back down. 

    "Well, I'm sorry, but I've been on many ships before, and I have never heard anything like that."

    "Good for you. Now go to sleep."

    "Martina!" 

    "What?"

    "You… shouldn't we go see what it was?"

    "If it's stupid enough to be awake at this hour then I wish it well. Now go to sleep." Ana sighed, knowing Marti would be useless until she had slept off the rum. She closed her eyes, and listened in the dark silence for a while longer. But it was useless to try and listen for long, because sleep soon took her also, and pretty soon both girls were fast asleep. 

    Jack awoke to hear hammering on his door. He closed his eyes again, dismissing it, but was brutally awakened again by the same sound. He sat up in bed, and felt the blood rush to his head. 

    "What?" He yelled, deciding against the polite approach.

    "Open the door." 

    "What? Flint?"

    "Jack, open the door." Jack got up and pulled open the door to reveal a wide awake looking Savannah Flint. She was wearing a night gown that didn't quite cover her knees. It was deep, dark pink, and had a pattern of black roses around the neckline, which, for a nightgown, was very low indeed. 

    "You're goin' t' 'av t' wear somethin' a little less flatterin' if you want me to listen t' anythin' ye got t' say luv," Jack drawled, surprising even himself slightly in the fact that he was able to be so flirtatious within two minutes of waking. Then again, most men probably could be if Savannah Flint turned up scantily clad on their doorsteps at three in the morning. 

    "Look at this," She thrust the book in his face, open at the page that had been marked, "Then look out of your window. Jack did as she said, and noticed that the image in the book was the same as the pattern the stars made up. 

    "That's a very nice chart luv," He said, "Why am I lookin' at it again?" Savannah sighed, 

    "Do you not notice anything? They are the same."

    "It's the stars luv, they don't change very often."

    "Jack, they aren't the stars up there. It's the map, the route to Isla de Corona."

    "Still not followin' ye,"

    "Some one has taken this route before!"

    "So?"

    "So it's supposed to be untravelled, undiscovered. Someone can't have been here before. Unless…"

    "Unless what?" Jack was finding it very hard to concentrate on Savannah's face when he was talking to her. 

    "Unless… stop it. Unless some one beat us to it."

    "To Turner?"

    "No, this chart is over ten years old. It hasn't been opened since he was alive. I think, I think this island is very important to some one, or something. I also think, that we are going to wrong way." Savannah frowned, "We can't follow these stars to get there. I've looked, I've plotted it on a map, we'll just end up back where we started."

    "So what do you suggest we do? Bearing in mind we don' have a map anymore." Savannah sat down, and looked at Jack seriously. 

    "It's the boy. Turner's lad. He's the key. You see, we don't need a compass, or a map. Not with him onboard."

    "You're loosing me agin'." 

    "Blood is thicker than water Jack. Will can find his father, but he won't know it. I've been watching him. Every time something bad is going to happen, like the storm, he stands on the starboard side, watching the ocean."

    "What?"

    "He did it again tonight, and now this has happened. Trust me Jack, I know what I'm talking about. I've dedicated my life to spotting the important things people miss. I was wrong about the map. But I'm not wrong about this." Jack paused,    

    "So we just get Will to tell us when we're goin' wrong then?"

    "We cannot tell him what we know. If we tell him, it will interrupt the function of his subconscious and cause everything to go awry." Jack sat down beside her. 

    "Well, that was a lot of strange, complicated information t' take in." he sighed, "This really is goin' t' be a difficult voyage, isn't it?"

    "Aye, though it will be worth it, will it not? To reunite friends, and families?"

    "Flint?"

    "Aye?"

    "Ask me again in the morning."


	17. 17

That morning, Ana Maria was adjusting the main sail to the path Jack had mapped out for her at the start of the voyage, when Savannah grabbed the rope and roughly pulled it to the left, completely altering the position of the sail and jolting the ship with the sudden change of direction. 

    "What d'ye think you're playin' at Savannah?" Ana demanded, "you've completely changed our course!" Savannah kept walking as she had done as soon as she had secured the rope. 

    "We were going the wrong way." She called back. Ana was ever so slightly annoyed. Okay, she was really annoyed.  

    "You aren't captain of this ship Flint!" She yelled, "You can't change the whole bloody voyage without the captain's permission!" Savannah ignored her, and Ana jumped when she turned around to find herself facing Jack. "Did you see what she just-"

    "I told her too." Jack said. Ana was just about to go off on a rant again when he got in first. "Not like that mind. What I actually told her to do was inform the crew of the change of direction."

    "What change of direction?" Ana still had a hint of hostility in her voice. She disliked Savannah behaving like she was someone special when she wasn't even part of the crew. 

    "Flint made a discovery last night. We've been sent the wrong way. Some one's bin tryin' t' keep us away from that island." He saw the flash of anger cross her face again when she discovered Savannah was the reason for the changing of her orders. "Here, do me a favour lass. Go and explain this whole thing to Rosaline, just so's she knows what be goin' on."

    "Why me?"

    "Elizabeth say's she's 'ad her fill o' her. She won't talk to any of the men. Teeny won't speak to 'er because she called 'er a… somethin', I weren't really listnin'. She's pretty much set her mind onto hatin' me, and frankly, I don't want Savannah to do it. She's off on her high wire, and I don't trust 'er to handle the situation… rightly…" He knew he had said the magic words. He might as well have just said, 'I don't trust Savannah' from the start and she would have been off like a shot. 

    "Aye, alright then." Ana said, and looked set to go, when she turned back. "Captain," She started, "I…" Then she stopped, "Never mind." She was about to walk off, when Jack caught her arm. 

    "I'll tell Flint to stop bein' so… authoritive." He said, "You be me first mate, Ana. She'd do well to remember that from time to time." Ana grinned, 

    "Flattery will get ye everywhere," She said, walking off. 

    "I always hope, luv, I always hope. One of these day's you'll realise." Ana smiled and shook her head as she headed to Rosaline's cabin. 

    When she got there, she knocked on the door, quite heavily. Ana Maria was never one to beat around the bush. She could be sensitive when she needed to be, but at the moment she saw no reason to.

    "Hello? Rosaline? It's Ana Maria. I'm the one who's not a bitch, or been insulted by you." _Yet._ She added to herself. "Look, I've got a key, an' I be comin' in anyway. But I'm givin' y' the chance to open it from your side." She waited for what seemed like ages, but could not have been more than a minute. Then she heard the soft click of the lock turning. The door opened a slit, and she saw Rosaline's face in the gap. "It's just me." She said, "Will ye be lettin' me in?" When Rosaline was sure Ana was telling the truth, she opened the door fully, and let her enter. As soon as she got in, she noticed the full plate of food on the table. "You not hungry?"

    "No. I wasn't." _Liar. _Ana thought, but didn't say anything. 

    "Well, ye can just go on down to the galley when you are. Clay spends most of 'is time in there, peelin' potatoes and such. He hasn't really got much of a life you see. Fancies Martina like anythin' though." Rosaline smiled politely, and Ana fought back the urge to laugh. "You don't have to use your manners up on me. This is a pirate ship after all." 

    "Don't remind me." Rosaline said, with a hint of desperation lining her voice. 

    "It's not that bad you know. There's plenty of worse pirates you could have ended up with. Rob y', rape y' and chuck y' in the ocean." Rosaline shuddered. 

    "How can you live like this?" She asked Ana, "With all of these drunken rogues, and the _smell_, and… what?" She had realised that Ana was fighting back laughter. 

    "It's just I think the Cap'n would feel rather honoured if 'e knew ye just called him a drunken 'rogue'. Drunken fool is more fitting I think. Not that I ever speak ill of the Cap'n mind." 

    "Of course," Rosaline said, the beginnings of a smile appearing at her mouth. She thought Ana was different to the rest of the crew. She hadn't repulsed her as of yet, and she didn't look threatening, although there was a lingering thought at the back of Rosaline's mind that told her that Ana probably could look threatening if she wanted to. 

    "Captain Sparrow's a good man." Ana said, sincerely, "He didn't have to save your life, but he did, because it's the sort of thing he does."

    "So you expect me to believe this crew is a '_good'_ little set of pirates, who go around saving people's lives?"

    "Not at all." Ana said, "We're the most fearsome ship in the entire Spanish main." She said proudly, "But that doesn't change the fact that Jack Sparrow is a good man. He's quite annoying at times, and spends most of his time tryin' t' get every girl he sees to go to bed with him, but as long as you know how to ignore him he's okay." Rosaline made a face, 

    "He sounds repulsive." She said. 

    "Not really." Ana said. "Listen, why don't you come down to the galley with me. We can get y' some food if y' want." 

    "No thank you." Rosaline said this calmly, but Ana's eyes were quick enough to spot the look that flashed across her face for a split second.  

    "Alright then." Ana chose not to press the issue. "But the Captain sent me here to tell ye where we be goin'. No offence, but this is a very important voyage, and we can't waste time takin y' anywhere special, so y'll have t' come with us. We're sailing to a place called Isla de Corona, to find Will Turner's father. Will's the tall one, quite good looking, married to Elizabeth. Anyway, let's just say there's a lot o' people who don't want us to get there, and it's not goin' t' be easy, but that shouldn' bother you, seein' as you were prepared to drown rather than be here anyway. Apparently, that storm were just the tip o' the iceberg." Rosaline tried to take all of this information in, and accepted it, knowing that anything she said wouldn't count for anything. "And I'll be bringing ye some food, because y' look like y' haven't had a proper meal in months. Not healthy to be that skinny y' know. I'll bring y' some when I've done with me duties."

    "Thank you," Rosaline said, 

    "Did y' want anything like, some clean clothes or something? I could…" Seeing the look cross Rosaline's face, she changed mid sentence, "I'm sure Elizabeth has something y' could borrow. I'm afraid pretty dresses aren't very practical in my line of work." Rosaline accepted Ana's gesture and she left, not wanting to push her luck. 

    One thing was bothering Ana Maria as she headed off to find Elizabeth. _What did that look on her face mean? _She thought. It was just when she mentioned joining the others in the galley. Why was she so afraid of the crew? Surely she could see that they weren't going to molest her or anything? Ana shook her head, and decided to tell Jack of her suspicions. He seemed strangely… concerned about Rosaline. Maybe Marti was right. Maybe it was just the bet he had with Clay. Maybe all he wanted was to get some action of a different kind to sword fighting on this voyage. But somehow, there was something that told Ana that this just was not the case.


	18. 18

Marti was sat on top of Jack's cabin, wither legs dangling over the edge. Ana saw her and went to ask her if she had seen Elizabeth. When she reached her, she realised that Marti only had one shoe on. Her red and white clad foot was swinging, and she had her boot in her hands. 

    "What's up?" She asked Marti, who was holding her boot with a look of deep concentration on her face. 

    "Bloody Clay ripped me boot." She said, huffily, "Ripped the laces clean out. Now I have to fix it." 

    "Make him do it."

    "Tried that. Says he's to busy." Then she began a steam of Spanish profanities directed to Clay. Ana held up her hands, 

    "Woah, save that for him." Ana said, "Have you seen Elizabeth?" 

    "I've had it with bloody English women." Marti said. "That's a no."

    "I'm half English you know." 

    "But the better half of you is Spanish. That makes up for it." Marti said seriously. "I never understand English women." 

    "I don't think I can help you there. Look how I turned out." Ana said, "Well, have you seen the Captain then?" Marti nodded, and kicked the boards where her feet dangled. 

    "He's in there. I'm tryin' to see how long it will take me to drive him to insanity by kickin' his wall." Ana nodded, 

    "There's a productive thing t' be doing." 

    "Aye. That's what I thought." Ana shook her head and knocked on the door to Jack's cabin before entering. 

    Jack looked up from the map he had been studying. 

    "Find out anything worth knowin'?" He asked her. Ana was about to answer, but pulled open the door again, 

    "Marti, go annoy some one else please?" She said. Marti saw the look in her friends eyes. 

    "This a bit of a private chin wag session?" She asked, casually, then slid down to the deck. "Alright then, I'll go find Elizabeth for you."

    "Quick, some one tell her t' run an' hide," Jack said, "Teeny's bored." Marti stuck out her tongue before she left. "I should 'av her thrown off me ship." Jack said when she had gone. 

    "Probably." Ana agreed,

    "So what did you find out?"

    "She's a very high strung English lady, the whole, oh I say thing going on. But, I don't think she's a bad person. She doesn't hate _me _anyway." Jack raised his eyebrows momentarily, 

    "You'd be the only one then." He said. 

    "I just think maybe she's heard some bad things about pirates." Ana said, seriously, "I thought she'd warm up a bit if she came to eat with the rest of us, but she won't leave the cabin." 

    "Bloody women." Jack said, and caught Ana's eyes avoiding his. "What?"

    "What, what?"

    "What was that look for?"

    "What look?"

    "Ana Maria, don't play dumb with me. It won't work." Ana glanced behind her and made sure the door was shut. 

    "Captain, if you don't mind me saying this, why do you care about her? You said yourself that the bet…"    

    "Oh, the bet," Jack shook his head, "You know not to take any notice of me when I'm that drunk. I got no intention of wastin' me time seducin' some English brat." He said, "She'll fall head over heels for me anyway. All women do eventually." 

    "Except me," Jack let out a quick snort of laughter, 

    "Liar." He accused her, "I'm not usually one to bring up the past Ana Maria, but…" Ana cut him off. 

    "That's quite enough of that thank you," She said, "So why do you care about Rosaline?" Jack shrugged, 

    "I don' know," He said, "Just thought I'd take a healthy interest in me new cargo, is all." Ana inspected him carefully, 

    "Are you sure that's all it is?" 

    "Ana Maria, you are avoiding the point of the conversation." Jack said, in a tone that told her the matter was not up for discussion. 

    "Alright," She gave in, "It's just, I saw something in her eyes, when I mentioned joinin' the crew. It's prob'ly nothin'." Jack gave her a questioning look and she continued, "But when I mentioned it, she looked scared, not like, disgusted or anything, but genuinely terrified of being with us. I really think that she might have a bloody good reason to hate pirates." Jack frowned, 

    "Go on…"

    "Well, that's it really. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I think it's important." She paused, "There is something more to this than a 'healthy interest' isn't there?" Jack didn't answer at first. 

    "I'm not sure," He said, "but when I am, I'll be sure to tell ye straight away, lass." He frowned again, as if considering something he had dismissed before, "Was there anything else?"

    "I just said I'd get her some clothes from Elizabeth, and take her some food." Ana said, "Maybe you should…"

    "I think it'd be safe for you to take care of that," Jack said, "I don't want anymore of me ship's ornamentation smashed against the door frames." Ana smiled, 

    "Aye Cap'n," She said, and before she left the room, she turned back, "I think… that with time and patience, and maybe a reason not to hate pirates, she might come round." Then she shut the door, leaving Jack to his thoughts. 

Good to hear you enjoyed chapter 16 Rae Roberts! Jack's disgraceful, isn't he?

Keep reading, keep reviewing, and above all, keep enjoying!

All my love, 

Savvy Z


	19. 19

"Buonas noches!" Marti appeared just in front of Elizabeth, making her jump out of her skin, 

    "Marti!" She gasped for her breath, "You almost gave me a heart attack!" Marti grinned, 

    "I have that effect on people." She said, swinging down from the pole she was gripping with her knees, "Good to see I still have the touch." Elizabeth smiled and shook her head, 

    "I'd swear you and Jack were related." She said, "Both as bad as each other." Marti looked at what her companion was carrying. 

    "Where'd you get those?" Elizabeth was holding a pair of leggings, not unlike the ones Savannah wore, and a shirt. 

    "Below deck," Elizabeth said, "Dresses aren't very practical, I have discovered." Marti raised her eyebrows, 

    "That's true." She grinned, "You're goin' t' make a grand pirate, you are," She said. Elizabeth blushed slightly, 

    "Well, I married one didn't I? I can't expect to live in Port Royale all my life." Marti frowned, 

    "Are you serious? Are you and Will goin' t' live out here?" Elizabeth shrugged, 

    "I don't know what's going through Will's mind at the moment. To tell you the truth, this whole thing with his father is having quite a large effect on him." Marti nodded, 

    "He's not the only one." 

    "You knew his father well, didn't you?" Marti grinned, 

    "Bill Turner was like a big brother," She said, "There ain't anythin' he didn't taught me, that's worth knowin' anyway." Elizabeth translated this to being a good thing. Marti was quite hard to understand sometimes. It was as if her version of English had been picked up from several, very different sources. "The man saved me life, when I was very… teeny, as Jack so often reminds me. And I guess the time has come for me to return the favour." Marti suddenly remembered something, "Ana is looking for ye. Something to do with the English girl." She said, "I wish you luck Elizabeth. And say hats off to y'. There ain't no man on this ship barrin' Jack who dares tackle her. You an' Ana be brave women." Elizabeth laughed, 

    "Well, I had better find her then." She said, "We'd hate too keep dear Miss Jones waiting now, wouldn't we?" 

    Jack emerged from his cabin and squinted as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the sun. He glanced around the ship. Elizabeth, Marti and Ana were on their way to where he was standing. Jack stared at Elizabeth, as if trying to work something out. 

    "Elizabeth," He called her over, still studying her, "You look… different…" 

    "I changed my clothes." She said, smiling. "After the incident with the storm, I discovered that dresses are not exactly practical for this voyage." 

    "I tol' her she's goin' t' make a great pirate," Marti said, "We were looking for young Will."

    "Hoping to scare the bejezus out of him." Ana joked. "Have you seen him?" 

    Jack felt his stomach sink, and he had the feeling that he was about to discover something he didn't want to. Stepping cautiously past the girls, (and only swaying a bit, he hadn't had _much _to drink) he stuck his head round the corner of his cabin. There was Will, watching the ocean. He looked up to the crows nest and saw Savannah sliding down the pole. She landed lightly and gave him an 'I told you so' look. 

    "Oh my god…" Elizabeth's voice interrupted his thoughts and made him turn around, slowly, as if he knew, or had a general idea that what he was about to see was not going to be good. 

    There, looming behind the Black Pearl, was the biggest ship Jack had ever seen. Bigger than the pearl, it dwarfed it. It brought with it a cover of fog, which ran out slightly ahead of it. Jack turned to the girls and they knew automatically what to do. Jack barked out his orders to the rest of the crew. 

    "Gibbs! Head for that island, we can use it as a cover. Ana, Teeny, get to the canons, load the long nines. Mr Clay! Get on deck, now!" 

    From her cabin below deck, Rosaline could hear Jack's voice. She couldn't make out the words, but she could hear the worry. His voice did not sound like one that worried regularly. Hearing canon fire and feeling the ship shake she soon knew why. Her face went white. More pirates, she thought. And it was more than probable these ones would not be so… well, they'd be pirates. 

    "All hands on deck!" Ana Maria cried, as Marti loaded the canon. Clay, Cotton and Mort rushed to their aid. Clay went above deck to help secure the ship, while Cotton and Mort loaded another canon. 

    "Fire!" Jack's voice rang out loud and clear below the deck and soon after, the canons released their load on the other ship. 

    Savannah ran across the deck, and skidded when she reached Jack, 

    "We have to get to that island!" She yelled, "They aren't going to storm the ship, they're trying to sink it!" 

    "We can't get there any faster now you've bloody told me that!" Jack said, exasperated, "Get below, help load the canons. I'm not loosing this ship again!" Savannah looked indignant for a moment, but knew what had to be done so she headed below. As she was doing so, a shot blasted through the lower decks, thankfully, not where the crew was. 

    "Jack!" She called to him, "Rosaline is below deck!" Jack's eyes grew wide as he realised where the previous shot head been directed. 

    "Get below! Load the canons, and fire as much as you bloody well can!" He told her. He took to the steps leading down to the cabins. 

    The walls were destroyed and there was a clear cut corridor formed through them, with no sign of Rosaline. 

    "Roz? Rosaline!" He yelled. There was no sound, and no sight. He pulled open the door to her cabin, but there was no one inside. "Roz, where are you?" 

    "Who are they?" Elizabeth asked Marti, as they recovered their position after avoiding another shot aimed their way. 

    "No idea," She said, coughing, "They just came from no where! They can see we are a pirate ship! I do not understand it- get down!" 

    "Where are you?" Rosaline could hear Jack's voice. She was in a corner, she didn't know where. When the blast had hit she had just ran where she could and prayed the next shot would not be where she was. She was huddled, with her knees against her chest. She felt paralysed with fear. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. Tears were flowing like rivers in flood down her cheeks. She wanted to cry for help, even from Jack, but she couldn't find her voice. All she could do was silently pray that he would find her. 

    After a good few minutes of searching, Rosaline's prayers were answered. Jack pulled aside what was left of a cabin door that blocked her corner and saw her. 

    Her white cheeks were red from crying, and her glistening eyes looked up at him in desperation. Not knowing what else to do, Jack scooped her up into his arms and headed to a higher deck where there was less risk. 

    They were about to take the last flight of steps to the level where the rest of the crew were fighting with all they had when yet another shot blasted through the ship and took out the steps. 

    "Me bloody ship!" Jack yelled, stumbling backwards. Rosaline screamed when she blast occurred and Jack felt her arms tighten around him. He could feel how strong her fear was, but for some reason, he didn't think it was fear of being shot. He looked through the hole that had been made in the wall of the deck and saw that the water below was quite shallow. There wasn't that much distance, and Rosaline could get to shore if she swam. "Roz," He said, "You have to get to shore." He put her feet down, but still held her arms. He knew that at the moment, if he let go of her, she would fall. "Come on lass, a bit of cooperation please?" He leant out of the hole, giving her clear passage. "Jump," He said, "You-" Jack never got to tell her what else he was about to say because one of the crew on the attacking ship had seized the 'opportune moment' it had seemed, and took aim with a pistol. Luckily for Jack, it was not fantastic aim, but still good enough. He yelled out in pain. He could feel in his back where the bullet had hit him, and could feel shooting pain al through his body. Stumbling backward, he slipped through the gap and fell into the ocean below. 

    "Jack!" Rosaline suddenly felt her voice return to her, and then some. "JACK!" She yelled, louder than she ever had done before. Then, not really knowing what she was doing, or why she was doing it, she dived out of the ship into the ocean. 

    By pure chance, she caught hold of his hand and tried to pull him above the water. She clung to the side of the ship, and saw the white foam on the waves turn red when Jack surfaced.    

    "Oh my god," She gasped, and then screamed it. Seeing her only chance to be the island, she pulled Jack with her as she tried to swim to shore. 

    It seemed forever before she finally felt her feet touch the ocean bed, and she could wade ashore. Now that they were out of the water, Jack felt heavy. Weighed down even more by his water logged clothes. Rosaline pulled off his coat but it didn't do much to lighten his weight. She shook his shoulders, 

    "Wake up you stupid pirate!" She yelled, "I can't move you! You have to wake up!" She slapped him hard around the face and his eyes flew open. He groaned again, as the pain in his back caught up with him. 

    "Little sympathy for the bloody wounded!" He yelled angrily, and tried to stand up. Then, canon fire hit the beach, the force sending the both of them flying backward, almost reaching the undergrowth that would hide them from view. 

    Some how between them, Rosaline managed to get Jack a few feet inside the cover of the trees, where he collapsed on the ground, gritting his teeth from the pain. Jack looked out over the sea to where the Pearl was under heavy fire. It looked as though the pirates were getting ready to board. 

    "Bloody pirates." 

What's this? I see no reviews! 

Well guess what? I've nearly finished! And I've passed the 40 chapter milestone, so there's plenty more to look forward to!

Reviews please! You know you want to make my life a happy one. 

Savvy Z


	20. 20

Ana saw the pirates getting ready to board. "All hands on deck!" She yelled, "Be ready to fight! Savannah, where are you going?" Savannah was quickly running to the deck below, 

    "I'm not Savannah Flint!" She called back, "I'm Victoria Henson!" Ana threw up her hands and raced to join the crew on deck, unsheathing her sword on the way. 

    There were more pirates from the other ship than there were from the Pearl. They were outnumbered, and fighting a hopeless battle. Clay was engaged in a ferocious battle with who seemed to be the Captain of the opposing ship. Marti was up against two very large men, who were both practically twice the size of her. But she was fighting well. Her size helped her dodge their blades, and her speed easily matched theirs. 

    Ana could see the crew fighting and had the sinking thought that this was a hopeless battle. She saw the two men advancing on Marti both at once, their swords raised. Ana was just about intervene and help her when she was cut off my another pirate. She heard Marti cry out, 

    "Marti!" Ana yelled, but she was helpless. She couldn't concentrate on Marti without falling herself. 

    Marti had managed to take out one of them, but the other one had her on the ground and was about to deal a deadly blow. All Marti could do was desperately try to shield herself with her own blade. The sword swung down and Marti braced herself for the pain, but all she heard was the clang of colliding metal. She opened her eyes and saw some one she didn't recognise. In fact, the only way she knew who it was, was the way that shortly after the first blow, the pirate was lying dead on the deck. 

    "Sav-"

    "Victoria!" Savannah, or Victoria interrupted, "Martina, Where is Captain Sparrow?" 

    "I don't know, look out!" Victoria turned round just in time to be caught roughly by the Captain who had previously been battling with Clay. She screamed loudly, 

    "Let me go! Oh, let me go!" 

    "Pipe down missy," The captain hissed, "Unless you want to know what a blade through yer gut feels like." Victoria looked horrified, and stayed silent. Soon after this, it seemed that the entire crew lost their own battles. The pirates surrounded them, and the Captain thrust Victoria into the arms of one of them. She made a sound that would have been a scream, if she hadn't been so scared. 

    "Which one o' ye' is Captain Sparrow?" Some of the crew glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. Ana Maria was about to speak up, and Will got there first. 

    "Jack Sparrow isn't Captain of this ship any more." He said. 

    "Who is then?"

    "I am." The Captain laughed, 

    "Oh yes? And who might you be?"

    "Captain William Turner," Will said. He had been contemplating using his real name, but from the reaction he got from the other crew, he knew he had made the right choice. He heard a few snippets of whispers, about 'Bootstrap'. Elizabeth tensed, wondering what they would do to her husband. "Who are you?" 

    "Well, Cap'n Turner, I be Cap'n Gorgon, o' the Blue Eagle." He nodded to his men, and they began to move the crew over to the Blue Eagle. "Welcome aboard, Cap'n Turner." One of the pirates made a grab at Marti and she snapped back at him. She glared and spat at him, earning herself a very rough passage to the other ship. "Toss 'em in the brig," Gorgon ordered, "It be at least two days travel to the rendezvous point." 

    "Rendezvous point?" Will spoke up, 

    "With the Immortal." Gorgon said, "This ship is wanted. You shouldn't have ventured into these waters Captain, especially with a name like yours." 

    Two pirates were left, locking the doors to the cells in the brig. Victoria had refused to be kept in the same cell as the rest of the crew, and spun off a long story about how the crew had kidnapped her and she was definitely not one of them. She was Victoria Henson, her father was Richard Henson. She obviously knew very well who Richard Henson was, and that the pirates knew who he was as well. She had been taken from Port du Blanc in France, and despised every member of the crew. 

    "What on earth is going on?" Elizabeth spoke up, when the pirates had gone. 

    "It would seem that we are wanted, by pirates." Victoria said, "And we have two days to work out three things. How to get out of these cells, how to get back to the Pearl, and where the hell Jack and Rosaline are." 


	21. 21

 Jack awoke to find himself lying with his head propped up against a tree root. He instantly tried to sit up and felt the pain from his wound shoot down his back. He groaned and laid back against the tree. Looking down, he noticed that his shirt was missing, and he had what looked like bandages covering part of his chest. Looking further he saw Rosaline, who was fading in and out of his focus. 

    "Couldn't wait to get my shirt off, right?" He joked, but his heart wasn't in it. 

    "I'm willing to ignore that comment, given the circumstances." Rosaline said, "Can you move?" Jack winced, 

    "Wish I could say me back was numb, but it ain't." He groaned and managed to pull himself up. "Where did you get bandages from?" 

    "My dress." Rosaline said, and Jack noticed there were strips of fabric missing from the skirt. 

    "You don't have any rum hidden in that dress by any chance do ye?" Jack asked her, "Pain killer of course," He added. Rosaline knelt down behind him and unwound the bandages to check his wound. 

    "This looks bad," She said, "It's ever so deep." 

    "We 'av t' get back t' the Pearl," Jack said, "Savannah'll fix me up," 

    "That might not be possible," Rosaline said, "I saw the other crew take yours aboard their ship, and…" 

    "And what?"

    "And I can't see either ship anymore."

    "What? The bloody bastard's stole me ship?" Jack's worst fears had come true, again. 

    "So it would seem. But I think the bigger problem is the fact that we are stranded on this island, with no way off, and you are injured." As she finished her sentence, she heard Jack hiss in pain, and noticed his wound start to bleed again. Instantly she panicked, but managed to mask the feeling. She was thankful that Jack was not facing her. It wouldn't do at all for a pirate to see her loose her cool, and the thought that she was concerned for one was unimaginable. She didn't know what to do, 

    "What is it?" She asked him urgently, 

    "It's the bloody bullet," Jack said through clenched teeth, "It's still in there," 

    "What do I do?" 

    "Get the bloody thing out!" Rosaline recoiled. She couldn't… the thought repulsed her, 

    "What happens if I can't get it out?"

    "You'll be stranded on yer own." Jack said, "I know it might sound favourable to you, but I don't fancy my share in it very much." Rosaline knew she had to try. Jack had saved her life. He could have just left her below deck, and if he had, he might still have his ship, and be rid of her. It was her fault. He had been trying to get her to safety when he had gotten shot. 

    She pulled the bandage off completely so she could see the bullet hole clearly. "I haven't got a clue what I'm doing!" She told him, helplessly, 

    "Lass, you managed to drag me to shore without getting the pair of us blown up. I'll place a bet that you didn' know how t' do that till today either." Rosaline nodded and swallowed her fear. She moved her hand over to the wound, 

    "Just… just try and pull it out?" She asked, "Won't it hurt?"

    "It'll bloody hurt luv," he said, "But it's better than being dead." Rosaline mentally urged her hand to move. 

    "Alright," She said, "I'm going to do it. Get-"

    "Just bloody do it!" Jack yelled, and as she did so his last word didn't end, but instead turned into an extremely loud yell. Rosaline winced as she felt the metal with the tip of her finger. 

    "It's too far in," She said, with tears in her eyes knowing she was causing him so much pain, 

    "I really don' care if you have t' rip it out luv, just get it out!" Rosaline grabbed Jack's hand with her spare one and felt him squeeze it so hard she thought he might break it. She was fumbling with the bullet, and knew that she wasn't going to get anywhere being timid. Eventually she plucked up the courage and reached further down so she could get her finger underneath it to pull it out. She felt the flesh tear and more and more blood flowed out. With one last pull her hand, and the bullet came out. She grabbed the makeshift bandage and covered the bullet hole, pressing it down to stop the bleeding. Jack didn't let go of her hand and she held on to him tightly, trying to assure herself that the amount of pain she had just caused had saved the mans life.

         "I'm sorry," She said, "I'm so sorry," Jack felt paralysed. He felt like he couldn't let go of her even if he wanted to. His back felt as if it was on fire. He could hear her speaking but couldn't find his own voice for a while. 

    "Bloody hell," He said finally. Rosaline smiled, hearing in his voice that the pain had stopped. It might have been replaced by more, but it wasn't as bad. "Thanks luv," He said, releasing her hand from his and straightening slightly. 

    "You're welcome." She said, "You saved my life, I saved yours. At least now we're even." Jack frowned, 

    "I hope that doesn't mean that you're goin' t' go back t' hatin' me now," He said, "Because it looks like we'll be stuck together for a while. Until Savannah breaks out and wipes the floor with the thieves who stole _my _ship." Rosaline shook her head. 

    "I don't hate you, Jack." She said, "It's just," She paused, "You're a pirate. Your whole crew are pirates, and I… well… no one has ever given me a reason not to hate pirates."

    "It seemed a bit more than that to me luv," Jack said, "That excuse don't explain why you would 'av rather died than be rescued by me."

    "I just didn't want to be on board a pirate ship." Rosaline said, "It's as simple as that." Jack regarded her closely. 

    "Not it's not." He said slowly, "But you aren't goin' t' tell me the rest." Rosaline smiled. He was right. She wasn't going to tell him. He might have saved her, and she might have saved him. She might not hate him, but she wasn't going to pour out her entire life story to him. 

    "Twenty one." She said, not looking at him. 

    "What?" 

    "I'm twenty one." She said again. "That's what you wanted to know before isn't it? How old I was?" Jack grinned, 

    "I knew you'd warm up t' me, luv."


	22. 22

"We have to get out of here before they reach their rendezvous," Marti said, twiddling a hair pin in the lock, but to no avail. 

    "Nice goin' statin' the obvious there Marti," Mort said, glumly. 

    "At least she's bloody tryin' somethin'." Clay objected, "She's not given up yet, like you seem to have done." Marti gave him a strange look, and carried on picking the lock. 

    "What exactly do you plan to do once you escape?" Victoria asked them. "Leap madly to your ship, only to be over powered again? That would be foolish." 

    "Then what to you suggest we do?" Ana asked her. 

    "I suggest, that we formulate a plan, that preferably does not result in our deaths." 

    "You don't say." Clay said. Ana Maria stepped up, 

    "She's right. We can't just escape and expect to run free. We'd be dead before we even got to the Pearl." 

    "Then what can we do?" Elizabeth asked. 

    "What about Jack?" Will said, "Perhaps he's still on the Pearl, perhaps he just wasn't caught." Ana, Marti and Gibbs looked at each other. "What?" Will asked them. 

    "Well, knowin' Jack like we does," Gibbs said, "it's just… well, he'd have pulled some crazy stunt by now if he were goin' t'." Marti increased her torture of the lock, distracting herself from the conversation. 

    "We just have to accept that perhaps… perhaps Captain Sparrow…"

    "Fell behind." Will answered for her. There was silence, until Marti spoke, 

    "To hell with that." She said, her voice shaking, "He's on that bloody island, with that English girl, probly havin' the time of his life. That's right. The time of his life." 

    In fact, Jack was fast asleep. As was Rosaline. The pair of them were still hidden in the trees, and both asleep. Jack was laid on his side, still with his shirt off, as it was covered in blood. Rosaline was curled up against a tree, with Jack's head just on her knee. Jack was sleeping soundly, snoring slightly, but Rosaline did not seem to be. She was muttering something in her sleep, and moving her head as if trying to get away from something, or some one. The movement gradually shook Jack awake. He opened his eyes, and became aware of Rosaline saying something. By now, her voice had gotten louder, and he could hear her saying no in her sleep. He pulled himself up and put his hand on her shoulder, 

    "Roz, wake up," He said, quietly. He shook her slightly, "Roz," Rosaline shot up gasping for air, fresh tears glistening in her eyes. Her eyes were glazed over, as if she was seeing something completely different to what was really there, 

    "No," She said, "No!" Jack took hold of her and shook her hard. 

    "Roz!" He yelled at her. Her eyes refocused and she seemed to realise where she was. 

    "Jack?" She looked into his eyes for a moment, but then stood up and walked swiftly through the forest, out onto the beach. Jack sighed. Just when he thought he was beginning to understand her. He saw her sit down near the waters edge, with her head in her hands. He contemplated leaving her there for a while, but thought the better of it. He stood up and decided right there and then that he was going to get to the bottom of this. He made his way over the beach to where she was sat. 

    He sat down next to her, and cleared his throat to make it certain to her that he was there. 

    "So are y' goin' t' be tellin' me what that was about?" Rosaline shook her head, and a tear ran down her cheek. Jack sighed, "I'd really like it if you would." He said, "Please." Rosaline lost control of the tears and began to cry. 

    "I don't understand why you are so kind to me." She said, "You're a _pirate._" 

    "I'm captain Jack Sparrow, luv," He said, "Not just any old pirate." But the attempt at humour was lost on Rosaline. 

    "Well, I've met plenty of those." She said, "Pirates come in all forms, and with different approaches. How do I know you aren't just waiting for the right moment…" 

    "Because you just pulled a bullet out of me that would have killed me if you hadn't." Jack said, "A pirate will always keep his word, and I give my word that I'm not waiting to do anything other than find out what's wrong with you." Jack looked her in the eye, but she looked away, "I know you believe me Roz." He said, "I just don' think you want to." Rosaline looked at him with red eyes and he knew he was right. "Come on luv, just tell me what it is." 

    "There isn't anything you can do about it." She said, "So what's the point?"

    "The point is that I want t' know," Jack said, "An' I don't want t' see you goin' through this on your own." He leaned closer to her and said, "There's also the fact that I'm more sober than I've bin in a long time… So somethin' I say might actually make sense for once." That did it, and despite herself, Rosaline laughed. Jack grinned, "That's better," He said, "Now, answer me this. What was y' dreamin' about?" Rosaline stopped laughing. Jack regretted this, but knew that if she didn't get it out into the open it would haunt her forever. 

    "I always have that dream," She said, quietly, "Whenever I sleep. It's… it's about something that happened to me… five years ago."

    "Would it have anythin' t' do wi' why you can't stand the sight of pirates?" Jack asked her. Rosaline nodded, pulling herself together before she spoke again. 

    "When I was sixteen… my father… he took me on a voyage to France. One the way, our ship was attacked by… by pirates…" Suddenly Jack found the cogs in his brain turning as he put the information together. Rosaline carried on. "One of them… his name was Briggs… I don't know his first name… he… he…" Rosaline's voice was shaking so much that she couldn't say anything else. She collapsed in sobs and Jack put his arm around her shoulders. She leant into his chest and held onto his shoulder. "I screamed, and I cried as loud as I could, but no one came," She sobbed, "No one helped me," Jack wrapped his free arm around her waist and held her tightly as she let go of her pain. He smoothed down her hair soothingly, 

    "How did your lot get off the pirate ship?" He asked her, 

    "The navy had been searching… they took the ship and the crew back to England, but they were intercepted… the crew escaped… _he _escaped." She buried her head in Jack's chest, 

    "And you've always been afraid of pirate ships because of it." Jack said, "That, and we're all fearsome, black hearted scoundrels of course." Rosaline felt that she didn't need to worry for the first time in her life for five years. She felt safe. "If I ever see that bastard, I'll rip his heart out." Jack said, angrily,

    "With what?" Rosaline found Jack's violent thoughts quite amusing in the given situation. 

    "With a fork." 

    "A fork?" Rosaline giggled, 

    "Must be a painful way to die, I should think." Jack said, "Could be intrestin'."

 A nice little chunk of piratey goodness there for ya! Three chapters up, dear me!

Yet there are no reviews? This is terrible! 

Will Jack and Roz get rescued? Will the crew ever make it out of the brig? Tune in next time for another exciting instalment of the forgotten curse!

Savvy Z


	23. 23

Marti cursed and threw the hair pin down on the floor. The lock was not going to budge. She gave the door a hard pull without success, and she slumped to the floor at Ana Maria's feet. 

    "What are we going to do?" She moaned, just as the same who guards who had locked them in came down the steps. 

    "I think you should spend yer time worryin' what the other crew's goin' t' do with y'." He smirked, "Instead of what yer doin'." Marti glared at the floor. _If I wasn't stuck in this cell… _Ana Maria put her hand on her friends shoulder to try to calm her down. She could tell that Marti's temper was flaring. 

    "Why are you doing this? What is the point?" Elizabeth demanded,

    "The point is the Immortal is after the crew of the Black Pearl. With Jack Sparrow or not. You." One of them pointed to Will, and the other one leant back against Victoria's cell, grinning, "Captain Gorgon wants to know when you became Captain of the Black Pearl?" 

    "Ever since Jack Sparrow lost it through drunken stupidity." Will said. Marti looked down at the ground, but the rest of the crew held eye contact with the pirate, backing up Will's statement.  

    "You killed him?"

    "Not personally." The two pirates looked at each other, almost triumphantly. 

    "Some information like that might do y' good when we gets to the Immortal, Cap'n Turner." One of them said, "O' course, there be no guarantee o' that." With this parting comment, they both left. 

    "This is just wonderful." Gibbs said, "Martina's right, there's no way we can get out of this one."

    "Is that right?" Victoria spoke up, 

    "Have you got any better ideas?" Ana asked her sharply. She was leant against the back wall, her face showing that she was unwillingly agreeing with Gibb's sentiments. Victoria swung a handful of keys from her fingers through the bars. 

    "I do indeed." 

    Back on the island, Jack was sat with his forearms on his knees, staring out over the ocean. He had put his shirt back on, and there was a faded red stain in the back of it. His eyes narrowed as he searched the horizon for any sign of his ship. 

    Rosaline was at the edge of the trees, watching the man who's life she had saved not long ago. Her mind was in a whirl. She was just coming to terms with the fact that she had told this man, this _pirate _something that she had never told any one before. Her first thought was, how could she be so stupid? He would probably use it against her, and she would regret ever having helped him. This thought was going through her mind quite a few times while she watched him, and the longer she watched him, the more doubt crept into her mind, until all she could see, was a Captain, stranded, who had lost his ship. Her brother Joseph had been a Captain, before he was killed in action four years ago. She knew how much a ship meant to it's Captain, and her brother had once told her that if some one took his ship away, he wouldn't just loose his ship, but his will to live as well. Personally, she had never been able to understand the attachment to a vessel, but now she saw it happening for real, her opinion had changed. 

    She knew that even if the ship returned somehow, the crew were planning to sail to a very dangerous place, and there was a high risk that they might not survive it. Rosaline felt something stir inside of her as she watched Jack, but the instant she recognised it, she pushed the thought away. _I have the worst luck ever, _she thought to herself, _If I let my feelings run away with me, it would be just my luck that Jack would not survive the voyage. _She sighed, and picked a leaf off one of the trees, twisting it in her fingers as she thought. 

    True, she hadn't spoken to the crew, in fact, the only members of the crew she had spoken to were Jack and Ana Maria. She had the feeling quite a few of them didn't like her, but she felt like she no longer feared them. She smiled, as she remembered when she had been brought on board the ship. She had kicked, she had screamed, and thrown insults everywhere they could make impact. The crew of the Pearl had probably thought she was going to be a handful because of her temper. How wrong they were. The truth was, she had been terrified. She had always been one to fight back when she was in a corner, but until the point when she got into that corner, she was terrified. She had been when the pirates had attacked the ship, but when Jack was shot, she was in the corner, and she managed to fight her way out of it. She had always thought that she didn't like people like Marti who could fight straight away because they were outlandish, fiery, and outspoken. Now she realised that she was jealous, jealous that they could do something she always ended up wishing she could do. 

    Jack's mind had wandered. His eyes were on the sea, but his mind wasn't. He was wondering what had become of his crew. Will and Elizabeth, it would be his fault if they were dead. If he hadn't called them up for this crazy voyage then they would be happy at Port Royale, living a normal life. His crew, well, they knew the risks of the voyage right from the start. Marti… he had sent a note to her, asking for her help. He thought he was doing her a favour, reuniting her with her friend. She had always seemed to avoid trouble before, but the moment she got involved with him, she was captured. At least, he hoped that was all that had happened. He wasn't even going to contemplate what else might have happened to her. It had been Savannah's own choice to involve herself, and he had no doubt that she would find some way out of whatever situation she got into, but she often did this, without considering any one else. 

    Then of course there was Rosaline. He was stuck on an island for god only knows how long, and she was too. Because of him. Of course, if it hadn't been for him, she would have drowned in the storm… which was only there because of his voyage, but if it wasn't for him, she would be captured like the rest of them, or worse… but if it weren't for the storm… Jack sighed and laid back on the sand, wincing as his back made contact with the sand. His wound was aching, but he didn't sit backup. The pain almost reminded him that he was a survivor. He had been shot in the back, and he was still alive. He wasn't the sort of person who was defeated easily. 

    "I need some rum." He sighed, and closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do, stuck on the island. The last time he had been stuck on an island, he had been drunk. Now he was sober, and he had realised something he never had done before. He was Captain Jack Sparrow, and he was useless.   


	24. 24

 Victoria waited until every member of the crew had fallen asleep. They had all agreed that they would wait until the right moment to use the keys. Of course, Victoria had no doubt that now was the right moment, she just didn't mention it to the crew. It was dark, and the only light was moonlight, which was shining through a gap in the door leading to the deck. 

    Victoria silently opened her own cell, and pocketed the keys. She quickly removed her skirt, which made far too much noise than she wanted to make. She tied up her hair, and took off her boots. Then, she slipped out of the doorway, and disappeared somewhere on deck. 

    Jack swaggered up behind Rosaline, feeling a bit off because of a _lack _of alcohol. He sat down hard, and tossed some sticks onto the small fire that he had managed to get started. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Jack's mind was swimming with a whole manner of thoughts, and Rosaline was still quite embarrassed after her little loss of self control incident earlier. 

    "Do you think that your ship will be back?" Rosaline was voicing her fears, that she was going to die on the island. 

    "Savannah might be able to swing it," Jack muttered, "Whether she'll come back here, is another matter." 

    "But… she's your friend isn't she?" Rosaline asked, confused, and desperate, "She would return here to search for you, if there was a chance…"

    "She's a bloody pirate," Jack said, "And a good'un. She'll stick to the code." Rosaline looked clueless, "Any man who falls behind, is left behind." 

    "That's heartless," 

    "It gets things done." Jack said, completely without feeling. He saw no point in arguing for the code, when it was probably the one thing that would seal his fate. He picked up a stone, tossed it in the air a few times, and then threw it over his shoulder. "The thing you need to know about Savannah, is that she is probably the best pirate ever to live. She's never been caught, not once. She's not very well known, because every time she meets anyone she does not instantly trust she takes on a new alias, a completely new personality, history, and sometimes appearance." Rosaline listened to him, hearing a sense of pride in his voice, "She always gets away, she always knows what to do, and she does what's best for her, before anyone else."

    "That sounds incredibly selfish." Rosaline pointed out, 

    "It's bein' selfish that's kept 'er alive." Jack said, "An' comin back here isn't in her best interests." He looked Rosaline in the eyes directly, "I'm sorry luv, but it don't look like we're getting' out of this one." Rosaline shook her head stubbornly, 

    "No." She said, "No, that's not going to happen. Maybe, we'll be stuck here for a few days, but that isn't so bad, is it? Some one will come past, and we can be rescued. I am _not _going to die on this, this _miserable _excuse for an island!" She sniffed, and wiped her eyes hurriedly, "And I am _not _going to cry." She said, determined. Jack didn't look at her, knowing that if he did, she might not be able to keep control.       

    "That ship," He said quietly, "Is the one thing I care about loosing. That's how heartless pirates are. Perhaps you were right Roz, perhaps we're all the same." 

    "I hate being called that." Rosaline said. 

    "I'm really not goin' to stop it luv,"

    "And you are not heartless. You could have stayed up there, you could have fought for your ship, but you saved my life. Why would you have done that if what you say is true?" Jack turned to her, and held her gaze in his, 

    "You sure y' want t' know the answer t' that question?" He asked her. He stared at her intently and then broke the gaze suddenly, and laid down beside the fire. "I suggest we both gets some sleep." 

    "Why?"

    "Because if I don't go to sleep, I'd most definitely do something extremely pirate like, and I don' think that would be helpful." Jack closed his eyes, and didn't say anything more. He was really missing his hat. It would have been handy right now to cover his eyes. Anything else that he could put between his eyes and hers, to stop himself from feeling her watching him. 

    Rosaline had realised something in their time together on the island, something which had shocked her and repulsed her at first. She had heard of Captain Jack Sparrow, and of his good looks and charms. She did not like to admit the fact that these aspects had attracted her attention, but it was true. She knew there was nothing she could do about it. It was unthinkable, for a lady such as herself to involve herself with a pirate. But as she watched him lying there, she realised that she was missing their conversation. Although the last one they had wasn't exactly cheery, now that she couldn't hear his voice, she felt alone, she was more aware of the darkness, and the silence around her. She realised that she wanted to talk to him, not because he was handsome, not because he was a pirate, but because she liked who he was. 

    "Jack," She said, "Don't go to sleep." Jack opened one eye, and then sat up. 

    "What are you sayin' luv?" He asked her. From the look in her eyes, he knew that what he was hoping for was not happening anytime soon. 

    "I want you to talk to me." She was in the process of realising how stupid she sounded. "I just want… I don't want you to go to sleep yet." She said. She sighed, and turned away from him. Jack scooted closer to her, but not so close as to make her uncomfortable, 

    "Alright then," He said, "I won't." 

    "Where's the bloody English wench?!" Hooch, The pirate who had made the discovery shook the bars of the cell. 

    "We don't know," Ana Maria said, "Probably gone and jumped over board in some sad attempt to save herself. She wasn't worth the hassle, we weren't paid nearly enough to transport her." The pirate was fuming, 

    "How did she escape?" He demanded, swinging the door of Victoria's cell. "The keys were in…" He felt for the pouch around his belt. "The bloody wench!" 

    Victoria's eyes glinted in the moonlight, which was fading, and turning to the dim light of a sunrise. She was lodged in a very small gap between the captain's cabin, and the deck. She had taken in every part of the ship when they had been captured, and noticed this space. Her instincts told her that no one would think of looking. Common sense told them it was too small for her, after all, she looked at lot bigger in her dress, which had so many under skirts you could get lost in them for days. She was in the shadows, and knew she would not be found. Her eyes closed, and she listened carefully to the sounds of the ship. She recognised the familiar sounds of the ship creaking, and she concentrated her attention on the footsteps on deck. She visualised them in her mind, and listened for at least half an hour, to familiarise herself with them. She could isolate singular pirates, and could tell how long it was going to take for any particular set of steps to get to her position. She concentrated, and waited for a single person to pass her position. The area would be silent for about three minutes. She slid out from her hiding place and stabbed the pirate neatly in the back before he could react. He slid silently to the ground, for she had successfully administered a killing blow. She immediately grabbed the rigging and pulled herself up, over the cabins and down the port side of the ship and in through an open window. 

    "So it's been three hours since she escaped, and you're tellin' me this 'English Lady' who seemed so harmless has successfully picked off five members of my crew, and none of you have been able to find her?" Gorgon spoke calmly, which was never a good sign. His crew cowered, and the one who was probably his first mate nodded slowly, 

    "Yes, sir," Gorgon sighed and shook his head, 

    "That's not very good, is it Screwball?" He said. Then his expression changed, he became sinister and threatening. "If it wasn't clear right now that I need every single member of my crew alive and ready, I would kill you myself." Screwball swallowed and stepped back among the rest of the crew. "All o' ye!" The captain yelled, "Find me that girl!"

The crew are in trouble, but let's hope Savannah… Victoria… whoever, doesn't just save her own skin…

Thanks for the review Rae Roberts, glad you're still enjoying the story, I'm just goin on blind faith now that I still have readers! 

Love ya all, especially reviewers!

Savvy Z


	25. 25

"…and then they made me their chief." Jack finished. Rosaline raised an eyebrow. 

    "You made that up." She said, smiling despite herself, 

    "Did not." Jack said stubbornly, "I just… exaggerated a little."

    "Just a little?" 

    "Just a little." Rosaline laughed at Jack's expression, knowing that his last story had been told many a time to impress, and that maybe, she was the first person not to humour him. By now, she had ended up leant on his knee, and he was propped up on his elbow just next to her knees. Occasionally, during his stories, Jack had put his hand on her leg. He had expected her to he angry, to yell at him, or at least slap him. But she didn't. 

    "Jack?" She asked him, when his hand had taken up residence on her thigh once more. "I… I feel comfortable sitting here with you." Jack raised his eyebrows, 

    "Thanks, I think…"

    "I don't think you understand," She said. She hadn't looked at him yet, but now she did. "I haven't felt comfortable talking… to anyone… in a long time." Jacks hand moved further up her leg so that it rested lightly on her hip. 

    "Then don' you think there's somethin' in that?" He asked her. Rosaline knew that she would be perfectly happy with what was about to happen, and that was what made her pull away. 

    "I think there is." She said, "And I think that it's something I don't want to loose by doing something…" 

    "extremely pirate like?" Jack asked her, grinning. He knew that he wasn't going to get what he wanted, but for the moment, that didn't matter to him. In fact, he was just discovering that he didn't need alcohol at the moment to get the dizzy feeling he had right then. 

    "Exactly." Rosaline said. They kept eye contact for a while longer, until Jack spoke. 

    "You know, I might actually fall asleep in a minute." He said, 

    "Me too." Rosaline shifted her position so that she was laid next to him. "So let's get some sleep." Jack felt her breath on his face, and swept a bit of hair out of her face, 

    "Aye aye, Cap'n," Jack did a fake salute and relaxed back on his arm. His other hand was back on her hip, and she relaxed down onto the sand with her forehead resting on his chest. Neither of them said another word until morning. 

    There was a small crack in the wall behind the crew's cell. Victoria had noticed this, and was currently using it to her advantage, 

    "Psst," she hissed through the gap. She was suspended by a single length of rope, tied to the rigging above deck. Will was slouched against the wall directly next to the gap. He frowned, and sat up straighter, putting up his hand to silence the others, 

    "S-"

    "Victoria!" She hissed, "I'm going to hand you the key to your cell. Do not use it yet." She slid it through the gap. Ana Maria ducked down to her level. 

    "What are you doing?" She demanded quietly, taking the key, and slipping it into her belt. Victoria rustled, and the crew could hear she was adjusting her position, ready to leave, 

    "Waiting for the opportune moment," Will realised. Ana looked at him, and they both realised what Victoria wanted them to do. 

    "Do not let yourselves out until you hear my voice," She said, "If you do, it will spoil the whole plan." 

    "Not planning on telling us are you?" Ana Maria hissed. There was a sound, like the click of a door, and Victoria made no other sound, and disappeared above deck. Will looked at the expression on Ana's face. 

    "What do you think?" He asked her. Ana shrugged grimly, 

    "What do we have to loose?" She said. "Let's just hope _Victoria's _plan saves us as well." Marti looked up at her friend, 

    "Ana," She said, "esto trabajaré," Ana raised her head slightly, in acknowledgement. "You may not get on, but she's never failed us. And she's never lost a fight." Ana nodded,

    "That's what worries me."  

Way hey, 2 reviews for one chapter, that's gotta b a record in me sad , sad life!

My answer to ur very long and very appreciated review has been posted on ur story Rythmteck, and Rae Roberts, d'y mind if I just call y' Rae? Anyway, I agree completely. Very pretty, lol!

Anyway, see ya!

Savvy Z


	26. 26

Victoria crouched, as she counted the amount of men on deck. There were three missing, and she could here at least two sets of feet moving nearby. The time had arrived. She took a deep breath, and reminded herself that she would be alright. _If not, then what do I have to loose? _

    "Good morning, gentlemen." She said brightly, as she stood up on top of the Captain's cabin. Instantly, the crew drew their swords, and some loaded pistols. 

    "Hold yer fire," The captain said, stepping forward, 

    "Yes, by all means do." Victoria said, "Of course, if you don't you'll be no worse off than me. The instant I drop this… the entire ship will go up." 

    "And so will you, if you try to destroy this ship." The captain said, his eyes never leaving the bomb she held in her hand. Victoria tossed it between her hands, and then held it up again. 

    "I don't think so." Victoria said, demurely, "You see, I believe that the Black Pearl is out of range of the blast. And if I dive off before the ship explodes, I might just make it. Unlike you." The captain knew she had him cornered. 

    "Then name your terms, Miss Henson. What would you have us do? Release the crew?" Victoria looked at him sceptically, 

    "Oh no," She said, "By all means, leave the crew where they are. You see, I only have two terms… I live…" She spotted the crew of the Pearl emerging from all different areas of the ship, and smiled. Keeping eye contact with the captain, she deterred the pirates attention from the Pearl's crew. In one movement, they leapt forward, easily taking out one pirate each, catching them unawares. Victoria's grin increased. "…And you die." 

    Both crews gave a cry and were instantly engaged in a battle, this time in favour of the Pearl. There were a very small number of the opposing crew, and there were becoming less of them by the minute. Victoria leapt forward, drawing her sword, and was slashing at the captain relentlessly. Then, suddenly the captain stopped, a strange look on his face. Seconds later, Victoria saw the tip of a sword protrude through his chest. The captain dropped, and she found herself staring directly into the eyes of a pirate. And it was not one she recognised. His bloodied blade glistened, 

    "Nice plan, Miss Flint." He said. Savannah's eyes narrowed, and her head cocked to one side. She spun and took out the pirate attacking Ana, who had not been winning the fight. Soon after, the fight was won, and among the bodies, the only ones left standing were the crew of the Pearl, and the boy who had killed the captain. 

    "What's with the boy?" Gibbs asked Savannah, sheathing his sword, and panting out of breath. 

    "That's exactly what he is just about to tell us." Savannah said, not breaking eye contact with the boy. 

    "My name is Jeremy Conch," He said, "I joined this crew to help you out… if you needed it… but it seems you didn't." Savannah wasn't convinced. 

    "I'm not in the mood to trust people I don't know, Master Conch," She said. Ana stepped up beside her. 

    "Neither am I." Savannah nodded to her right side where Ana was, 

    "And seeing as Ana Maria here is acting Captain of the Black Pearl, I don't think you'd like to upset her." Ana stood beside her, realising that herself and Savannah had just changed from being threatening to each other, to being an incredibly intimidating threat to others. The boy was obviously trying not to be worried, but both women saw him flinch. 

    "I have proof of my words," He said, producing a letter which he handed to Savannah, 

    "_This lad is more sensible than most. He can be trusted. Elena._" Savannah looked up sharply, "What connection have you with My daughter?" But before the boy could answer the entire crew, (bar Marti) did a double take. 

    "Since when did you have a daughter?!" Clay bluntly spoke up, a horrified look on his face. Savannah sighed, 

    "Yes, yes, I have a daughter. I have had one for ten years Mister Clay, it is just a part of my life I do not speak about much." Conch was amused by the situation, and he nodded at the piece of paper. 

    "There's more, isn't there Savannah?" Savannah sighed impatiently and read the rest of the letter, 

    "_PS, My mathematics tutor is very handsome. You would like him._" Savannah smiled grimly, 

    "Oh, she's your daughter alright." Will spoke up. Savannah glared at him. 

    "What connection do you have with Elena?" She asked Conch again, "And why are you here?" 

    "I told you, to help you on your voyage, and I met Elena while in France. Very charmin' little girl, and very much like yourself. She is shortly to leave the city of Quimperlé for yet another destination, is she not?" Savannah raised her eyebrows at the boy, and tucked the letter into her pocket.    

    "A friend to her or not, I am the only person who knows where Elena will be going this year, and that will not be changing." Will watched Savannah's confident image disappear, and become replaced by an over protective mother. "Ana Maria, I suggest we take your crew back to the Black Pearl." 

    "Will, Elizabeth, Marti, go back to the ship and secure it, the rest of you, salvage all that you can from this one, and meet back as soon as possible. We've already wasted enough time." There were several 'aye sirs' and the crew dispersed. Ana pointed to the boy, 

    "What happens to you is Savannah's choice. Either way, I don't care what happens to y'." Savannah rolled her eyes. 

    "Get on the Pearl. If Elena says you are trustworthy, then you must be. She may be young, but she is not stupid." Savannah and Ana followed the boy back to the Pearl. 

    "Well, that was an unexpected piece of news." Elizabeth said, as she and Will released the Pearl from the grasp of the Blue Eagle. Marti shrugged, 

    "I knew." She said. "Elena is a cute kid. Very like her mother. She be very smart." Elizabeth checked behind her, 

    "I must admit, I didn't see Savannah as the settling down with a family type." Marti nodded in agreement. 

    "She's not. Elena is in France, like they just said. Savannah never ever mentions her, or even tells people her name." 

    "Why?" Elizabeth asked, "She seemed very concerned about her, why would she want to forget she has a daughter?"

    "She doesn't," Marti said, when they had finished. She moved closer to Elizabeth, purely out of habit from keeping quiet about Elena Flint. "She loves her daughter very much. And that is why she never speaks of her. It's for her own protection. You have to understand, there are a lot of people who Captain Flint, the original Cap'n Flint, did not get on with. There are many who would like to see Savannah, and Elena dead. Savannah knows how too take care of herself, and Elena is learning to as well." 

    "In France?" Elizabeth asked, "Surely it would be better for the child to live with her mother." She took a flask from her hip, and took a swig of water. 

    "Elena is getting an education. Just as I did." Savannah interrupted them, "She will not learn everything, but she will learn parts of everything. I have found that those parts are enough. And they leave room for more information. She will learn how to survive." Savannah kept walking with Ana Maria. 

    "Have y' noticed how Savannah seems to know everything? She's got so many personas that I've lost count. She's learnt the important bits about just about every place in the world, so if someone questions her story, she can back it up." Elizabeth looked impressed, 

    "Then it is clear that her way of life has worked. She has not been caught so far." Marti laughed, 

    "No she hasn't. But Sarah Knight has, Josephine Clark has, Ruby Wentworth… and now Victoria Henson. Of course, it is very rare that even those women are made a public name because of her favourite saying." Elizabeth looked wary, 

    "Do I want to know?"

    "It's the Flint family motto," Marti said, "Dead men tell no tales."

    "I thought pirates liked being known." The look on Marti's face showed that she was one of those pirates. 

    "Savannah Flint does not care about being famous. She cares about being alive." Elizabeth suddenly realised the difference between Savannah and the other pirates she had met. Jack had always stayed alive by accident. Marti bounced through life as if it was a game. But Savannah was professional, she was quick, she was smart, and she didn't leave anything to chance. "Given y' somethin' t' think about, haven't I?" Marti asked, grinning. Elizabeth snapped out of her daydream, and smiled, 

    "I don't think it's very wise to think about Savannah at all." She said, 

    "Very wise." Marti said, "We don't want to have any tales to be able to tell." 


	27. 27

"I am going to die on this miserable excuse for an island." Rosaline said, looking glum. Jack chuckled. 

    "You've changed y' tune." He said. Rosaline stood up, closely followed by the shipless captain. 

    "We've been here for two days. It's going to be dark soon, and there's no sign of your ship." Jack's eyes changed from his usual vacant look, to one of… well, an expression he usually wore in Tortuga, after quite a bit to drink. 

    "I can think of something t' make it less miserable." He said suggestively. He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her closer to him. 

    "I don't…"

    "Think about it luv, d'y want t' starve to death on an island without havin' a little bit of fun before hand?" He started to kiss her neck, and Rosaline, although having every intention of stopping him, gave in pretty quickly. Jack's kisses moved up her neck and were just about to reach her mouth when she spotted something, 

    "Jack…" She said, annoyed with herself for being so breathless. Jack didn't seem to pay any attention to her, "Jack!" She said, louder, 

    "I don' know how experienced you are in this particular area, but you aren't supposed to yell me name like that just yet-" 

    "Look!" Jack spun round to where her eyes were focussing. Despite his annoyance at being interrupted at a point when he was actually getting somewhere with Rosaline, Jack grinned, "Is it your ship?" Rosaline asked him, not missing the fact that his hands were still wrapped tightly around her waist. 

    "That be my ship," He turned back to her, still grinning, "Looks like we won't be starvin' t' death after all." 

    "Looks that way." From the conversation, it would seem like their embrace should be broken. They were about to be rescued. They didn't have to answer to those primitive feelings that were mounted up inside of them at the thought of their last nights alive. They could let go now. They could go to the beach, and wait for the Pearl. Jack's hands were resting at the bottom of her back, and hers were on his chest. 

    "You know, this island isn't lookin' so bad anymore," Jack said, his face less than an inch away from hers. 

    "Perhaps we should meet the ship." She said, her voice no louder than a whisper. 

    "Perhaps we should continue this conversation later." He said, loosening his grip on her. As she let go, he grabbed her and kissed her passionately before she knew what was happening. Her first thoughts were of shock, and then of pushing him away, but when she raised her hands to do so, she found herself wrapping them around his neck. Not the intended action. Then she realised that she didn't really care, and she would deal with all of the problems later. She backed up until she was trapped between him and a tree, and could tell just how much he wanted to do much more than he was doing. Just as soon as he had started, Jack stopped. 

    "What was that for?" She asked him, not caring this time, that she was breathless. 

    "That was to make sure you don't reconsider us having this conversation again." Jack said, grinning. Rosaline couldn't help smiling. 

    "Like I told you last night. I feel very comfortable talking to you." 

    "Good." 

    "There they are!" Marti almost bounced up and down, "I told you Savannah! I told you!" Marti ran down toward the jolly boats, followed by Savannah and Will. They reached the shore and Marti instantly gasped at the state of Jack's back. 

    "What happened to y'?" She demanded, "Y' look like ye've bin on the receivin' end of Savannah's temper," Jack realised what she was talking about. 

    "I got shot." He said, simply, "Lucky for me, Roz decided to warm up to me a bit, and saved me life." At this news, Rosaline saw that she had earned the respect of at least three members of the crew, for saving their Captain. "Savannah," He stood tall beside her, even though he was smaller than her, "I would 'av thought y'd leave us behind." 

    "Oh I would have done," Savannah said openly, "I would have not wasted any more time than had already been wasted. But I am not your first mate, and so did not have the decision. It would seem that you made the right decision in choosing yours, although she doesn't keep to the code much." 

    "Pirates code is more like guidelines to us, right Jack?" Will said. Jack looked at his friend, who's inquiring expression had nothing to do with his previous question. Jack looked innocent, or at least as innocent as he could, 

    "That's right William. We aren't as professional as you luv." He said to Savannah, who smiled graciously, 

    "One of your few faults, Captain." She told him. "And now, I suggest we get off this island, and get back to the voyage, which we have neglected for too long." The rest of them agreed. Jack conveniently gave Rosaline a helpful hand getting back onto the ship. 

    Once back on the ship, Rosaline seemed to really be trying to get on with the crew, although it was not unknown that she seemed to be hiding behind Jack for most of the time. 

    Savannah dressed Jack's wound properly, and commented on how well Rosaline had acted. 

    "I know which direction we are to travel in," She told him, "And I have told Ana Maria,"

    "So you two aren't at each other's throats anymore?" Jack asked, sitting up and putting on a new shirt. 

    "We have reached an understanding." She agreed, "As have you and Miss Jones, it appears. You should not play with the girl's heart because of a bet, Jack." 

    "Savannah, I'm not." He said seriously, "I'm tellin' Clay the bet is off."

    "Could it be that Jack Sparrow has found a woman he has genuine feelings for?" Savannah pretended to be shocked, and packed away her medical supplies. It was strange how her delicate hands, slim and ladylike when packing bandages, could be so deadly when gripping a weapon. Many people have missed that in the past, and none have made the same mistake twice. 

    "I don' know what's goin' on in me head." Jack admitted, watching her, "I do know what it's never been goin' on before." 

    "Are you in love Captain?" Jack flinched at the mention of the word. 

    "No." He said, knowing this was certain. 

    "Then you soon will be."

    Clay sat on the table in the galley, peeling potatoes. He looked up when Rosaline came in, and saw by the look on her face that she had not expected anyone to be there. 

    "Need any help?" Clay offered, putting down the knife, and tossing the potato into a barrel with some others. 

    "I was just looking for a glass of water," Rosaline said, not even sure if a pirate ship stocked anything but rum. Clay obliged, and poured her one. Rosaline accepted it politely, 

    "You don't need to be like that," Clay said, "We aren't any fancy English gentlemen, we're pirates. I rarely gets a thank you for all me work down here." 

    "Well then you are under appreciated." Rosaline said, taking a sip. 

    "Well maybe you could put in a good word with the captain." Clay said, innocently. Rosaline narrowed her eyes, 

    "Why would the captain listen to me?" 

    "Well, thinking about it, he probably wouldn't." Clay said, slipping in conveniently, "I mean, for a minute there I thought… but then I remembered the bet." 

    "Bet?" Rosaline suddenly felt her face grow hot, and her stomach sank. 

    "Not for me to say." 

    "Tell me!" Clay glanced behind him, as if making sure the Captain didn't hear him, 

    "A crew member bet the captain that he couldn't bed you, and the cap'n bet he could. Something about a free round when we get back to Tortuga." Rosaline's face was one of absolute betrayal. She felt like she couldn't speak. She put down the glass of water, and fled the galley without another word. 

    "Free rounds for me then." Clay said happily, and went back to peeling potatoes. 

    "Roz, back so soon?" Jack flirted, but stopped when he saw the look on her face as she stepped inside. "What's wrong?"

    "I don't know," She said, anger lacing her voice, "I'll _bet _you can guess though." Jack's heart sunk,  

    "Listen, Roz, I was goin' t' tell…"

    "Tell me that I was nothing more than a bet?" She fumed, "That even after I trusted you, I told you something that my own _family _don't even know! Even after that, I'm just a bet?" Tears were threatening, but her anger pushed them down. Jack tried to grab her arm, but she pushed him away roughly, 

    "I was goin' t' tell Clay the bet was off," Jack insisted, "As soon as I'd agreed… I knew I wouldn't… you can ask Ana,"

    "Oh yes, well that's okay then. Why should I believe anything you say?" Rosaline asked, too calmly, "I can't trust anything you say anymore Jack. I was right the first time. You're nothing more than a disgusting, heartless _pirate._" Rosaline spat out the words with utter hatred, and slammed the door behind her before Jack could speak another word.

         It took him a moment to realise what had just happened, and then another to realise that Savannah was right. He cared about Rosaline a great deal, more than any woman he had ever known. And he feared that he had just lost her.

Well well well, what a lot of reviews!

Vanessawonderful, thank you very much, I love it when people love my stories!!! I update every day, unless I'm grounded, and as for jack and roz, well, believe me, there's some irritating angst coming up that you'll probably hate me for, but o well! Keep reading!

Xaviere Jade, kool name dude, and I know, I know, me grammar sux. But I'm trying really, really hard now! As for what you said about passive uh… something… I hate to tell you this, but I have no idea what you meant. But I kind of got it by your example, so thank you, but I don't know if your English or American or what, but my Lincolnshire lingo even confuses me at times! It's all 'dude!' and 'what the fook?' Believe me, we are actually sad enough to pronounce it like that. Anyways, I'm glad you like it, I'm one of those people who just writes for hours and has no real clue what I'm doing until it's done, lol. 

Thanks a lot guys, 

Savvy Z


	28. 28

Marti found Will and Elizabeth on the way out from their quarters. She rushed to them, and spoke quickly, and quietly, 

    "Have you seen Rosaline or Jack?" She asked, urgently. The couple could see just how worried Marti was, 

    "No, why, what is it?" Will asked her,

    "Bloody Clay! He told Rosaline about the bet him and Jack had, even thought Jack was goin' t' call it off, and now she hates Jack. She won't even speak to him." Marti was distraught, "Jack's locked himself in his cabin, and won't even speak to _me_. Ana's talking to Rosaline, but from what I heard, she's not getting very far." 

    "Oh dear," Elizabeth said, feeling sorry for her friend, 

    "Elizabeth, I think Jack really likes her. I mean really, _really _likes her. Like you two." 

    "You mean he's in love with her?" Marti threw up her hands, 

    "I don' know do I? I never been in love, and neither has he, so he doesn't know either. Elizabeth, you have to try and speak to Rosaline, and Will, you have to speak to Jack. Get them both to see sense!" Elizabeth put her hand on Marti's arm, 

    "Alright, we will." She assured her, "Isn't Ana Maria with Rosaline now?"

    "Yes, but you should go. It's two against one that way. Will, come with me," Marti dragged Will off to Jack's cabin. 

    "But it wasn't worth anything, Jack was just humouring Clay for the time being, he didn't intent to keep to the bet at all," Ana was begging Rosaline to see sense. Rosaline was sat in the corner of her bed, up against the wall. She was not listening to anything Ana had to say. 

    "I cannot trust the word of a pirate." She said. "I was wrong to change my opinion in the first place." 

    "Then listen to my word." Elizabeth was stood in the doorway. 

    "You are a pirate." 

    "I am Elizabeth Turner, I come from Port Royale. I'm most definitely not a pirate. Will's father is who we are searching for. That is why I am here. I was kidnapped by pirates, nearly two years ago. Will and Jack saved my life, this crew, well, part of it saved my life. Every man, or woman who sails under the Jolly Roger is a pirate, but some of them are also good men. Like Jack." Rosaline was stubborn, and although there was an enormous part of her that wanted to believe Elizabeth, there was a smaller, more irritating part of her which reminded her that she had been betrayed, and that was the part her mind was focussing on. 

    "He took a bullet for you!" Ana protested, desperately, "Do you really think he would have done that if you were only a bet?" She could see Rosaline's mind fighting with itself over this new piece of information. 

    "He… I… He lied to me." She said, finally, then looked at her knees, "I told him… I… I can't trust him after this." Elizabeth sighed, and Ana took this point as a good one to leave. She exchanged looks with Elizabeth on her way out, and the look she got in return told her she would do her best. 

    "There's one thing I know about Jack Sparrow." She said, plainly, "He might lie, he might cheat, he might be so incredibly openly flirtatious that it makes you feel uncomfortable. But he is a man of his word. You told him something… didn't you?" Rosaline laughed mirthlessly, 

    "I made the mistake of telling him something which I will never tell any one ever again." 

    "He won't tell any one." Elizabeth said, "Even if you never speak to him again. I know he won't." She sat down beside Rosaline. "All I'm asking is that if he wants to talk to you, please listen to him. He cares for you a great deal, whether you believe me or not. He might just surprise you." Rosaline made no indication that she had heard. Elizabeth decided to leave her alone with her thoughts, and pray that the side of her that still cared for Jack won the argument. 

    Ana waited outside the door. 

    "Well?" 

    "I think she will listen." Elizabeth said quietly, "And I pray to god she does, because without Jack's heart in this voyage we are sure to fail. Even with Savannah Flint." 

    "I bet you understand why I went to such great lengths to save Elizabeth now, don't you?" Will was sat in Jack's cabin, trying to console his friend. 

    "Please don't mention bets." Jack muttered, draining yet another bottle. He was slumped in his chair, with an expression that was unreadable. 

    "Jack Sparrow has fallen in love." Will almost laughed at the idea of it. 

    "I thought you were s'posed t' be consolin' me." Jack moaned, tossing the bottle on the floor, so it made a loud smash. 

    "There is no point." Will said. "You haven't lost her. If I had given up when I thought I lost Elizabeth, I wouldn't be here now. You need to keep trying." 

    "She's never goin' to speak t' me again."    

    "Jack, stop being such a cry baby, and go and speak to her!" 

    "If I do will you shut up?" Will grinned, 

    "I will. Except to say I told you so, of course."


	29. 29

Rosaline was alone in her cabin, with nothing to concentrate on but her thoughts. Just as Ana and Elizabeth had intended. 

    The first thing that annoyed her was the fact that all she could think about was Jack Sparrow. A pirate. Granted, he was an extremely attractive pirate, but still, he was a pirate. 

    Her mind lingered for a moment on the pleasant thoughts. Remembering waking up in his arms, the feeling of his breath on her face, of his lips on hers… _No, stop it. _Rosaline shook her head, but she couldn't rid herself of the memories from their time on the island. He had seemed so gentle, so… the perfect man… but still with an element of uncertainty, because he was a pirate. She had felt so ready to trust him, even with her history. She trusted him so much that she had told him what even her own family didn't know. And it had all been for a bet. How very _pirate_. 

    But can any man be that convincing? She didn't know. She liked him, a lot. And she got the impression he liked her as well. But what about the bet? All she had to trust was the word of pirates. 

    She wanted to trust him. She really did. She wanted him to hold her in his arms, and tell her everything was going to be alright, that all of the problems in her life would disappear. But there was still a nagging feeling in her mind. One that she feared she would never be able to get rid of. 

    But the thought, the thought of being with some one like him, some one who made her feel so comfortable, like she could be herself. Some one who didn't care if she was polite, didn't care what she said, or what she wore. She imagined she hadn't looked particularly attractive after being almost blown to bits, dunked in the ocean and covered in his own blood, but he didn't care. Well, he spent his life around women like Marti and Ana Maria, who didn't seem to care what they looked like, what their manners were like, or what people thought of them. Her father had once tried to set her up with a well known, noble gentleman, but she had been to one meal with the man and flatly refused to let her father arrange any more. He had been a perfectly nice man. Very handsome, very noble. Just what every woman wanted. Except her. When she woke in the morning, her hair was messed up, her face blotchy and her clothes were whatever she had slipped on the night before. Just like every other woman, she just wasn't prepared to give that up and start behaving like Lady Meredith-Jones first thing in the morning. She had a feeling that Jack Sparrow wouldn't give a damn what she looked like in the morning. 

    But despite all of these positive thoughts, deep in her mind, Rosaline felt betrayed. And at the moment, that was all she could think about. 

    There came a knock on the door. _Elizabeth back to preach again._ She thought to herself, standing up and crossing to the door which she unlocked and swung open absently. She was greeted by a very different figure to that which she expected. 

    "Jack," She gasped, not letting go of the door. Jack stood in the doorway, definitely not looking his normal self. 

    "Can I come in?" He asked her. Rosaline was almost shocked by the change in his voice. He had always sounded slightly drunk, and his comments always worked on many levels, and usually translated to sexual innuendos. Now, his voice sounded very serious, and much quieter than usual. Rosaline didn't have the heart to turn him away. 

    "Yes," She opened the door and closed it behind him. There was silence, and she was still facing the door when Jack spoke. 

    "I had no intention of keepin' the bet with Clay. And I certainly wasn't thinkin' about that when we were on that island." Rosaline turned and saw there was sincerity in his face, as well as in his voice. His eyes were red, and it tore her heart apart when she saw what she had done to him. She believed what he said, but he had still lied to her. 

    "I believe you." She said, quietly. She saw Jack release a breath he seemed to have been holding since she had stormed into his cabin that morning. He looked relieved, but he knew that the matter wasn't over. 

    "You know I wouldn't have told anyone what you told me," Jack said, "I wouldn't. If you don't believe anything else I tell you ever again, I need y' t' believe that." Rosaline grasped his hand, and looked into his eyes, searching for some conformation that she was about to say the right thing. 

    "I do." She didn't know why it was, but this man seemed like the most important thing to her in her own private universe. She held his hand tightly, and moved closer to him so that her cheek rested against his. One hand rested on his shoulder, while the other was still holding his. Jack closed his eyes, and wrapped his spare arm tightly around her back. Rosaline could feel he was tense, he was still worried about something. "What's wrong?"

    "Nothing's wrong." Jack muttered, his breath tickling her neck. Rosaline rolled her eyes, which were glistening with emotion, 

    "Alright, now I _don't _believe you." She said. "What is wrong?" Jack broke their embrace suddenly, the old fire returning to his eyes, 

    "I'm not like you Roz, just because you told me something, doesn't mean I have to spill me guts t' you." Rosaline looked indignant. 

    "Oh, well that's nice." She said, sarcastically. 

    "I don't tell me private life to anyone." Jack explained, "It's just somethin' I don't do." He sat down on her bed, and Rosaline realised that he was closing up to her, and that the look she had seen on his face, the pain she had heard in his voice was something no one ever saw. She sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. He raised his arm and wrapped it round her shoulders. She felt her eyes close, and his head rested on hers. She felt something tickle her chin and realised Jack's free hand had moved to her face. His head lifted from hers, and she opened her eyes to find that he had tilted her head to face his and she was looking into his eyes. His eyes closed, and hers followed. She could feel the warmth of his skin grow closer, and closer until his lips landed on hers. 

    This kiss was different to their last, which had been full of want, of longing. This one, Rosaline could almost taste his feelings. Jack's hand slid off her cheek and down to her neck. It played with the neckline of her dress, while his other hand slid down from her shoulder and took hold of her, low down her back. The hand on her back lifted her and she followed the gesture by standing up slightly so his hand could guide her. She ended up with her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms wrapped tightly round his neck. 

    "Do you think they made up?" Elizabeth already knew the answer, from the lack of angry shouts from Rosaline's cabin.   

    "Hmm." Will was barely listening. Elizabeth, who was laid on their bed sat up. 

    "Will. I'm running away to Spain with Mr Gibbs." 

    "Hmm." Will was tapping on the desk with his fingers. A look of realisation dawned on his face, "What"?

    "You weren't listening to me." Elizabeth scolded him. 

    "Do you think that some one can still be sane after being dropped to the bottom of the ocean? After years of solitude and torment?" 

    "You've been brooding again. You've spent too much time with Jack." 

    "That's not the point." Elizabeth sighed, 

    "I don't know." She admitted, "I don't think any one can know what it's like." Will said nothing. "I'm sure you father still loves you. You're his son." She assured him. 

    "I'm sure my father does." Will looked at her, "But is the man we find going to still be him?" 

    Not much had changed in Rosaline's cabin, save the fact that the once gentle kiss had changed to a deep, hungry one. Rosaline's mind was spinning, but all she could focus on was Jack. And Jack's hands, which were taking the opportunity to explore every available part of her body. Their mouths finally broke apart, and Jack's moved to her neck, an area which he decided to give a great amount of attention to. Jack rolled them over so that she was laid on the bed with his full body weight above her. Rosaline's eyes opened wide as his hands began to explore the new places available to them. 

    Marti half ran, half skidded across the deck, followed by Mort. She was gasping for breath when she reached Savannah and Ana. 

    "We… Ana! We…" She couldn't get her breath, 

    "Look!" Mort yelled pointing over his shoulder. Marti got back her breath, and did nothing but nod. 

    "Bloody hell, where did that come from?" Even Savannah had not been expecting to see the island in the distance. 

    "I've been on look out for the past hour," Marti assured her, "One moment there was nothing. I look away to speak with Mort, then when I look back… that!" Ana Maria gathered up her weapons belt and tied it around her waist. 

    "Has any one told the Captain?" She asked them both, 

    "We…"

    "We thought we'd tell you first." Mort interrupted. Ana looked confused, 

    "Why?"

    "Because…" Marti pushed Mort out of the way impatiently, 

    "Because Jack's in Rosaline's cabin… we didn't want to walk in on anything…"

    "Okay, we get the picture." Savannah insisted, "But whether Captain Sparrow's getting lucky or not, we need him on deck now. I will fetch him." 

    "And I'll get the crew," Ana said, heading down from the helm with Marti in tow, "Mort, you take the helm, we'll meet back here." 

         "Aye," Mort took the wheel from Savannah, and she slid down the steps in the opposite direction to fetch Jack.

u-ne-korn, yes, yes, I know how old Jack is, but hey, when it's true love, who cares? Woops, did I say true love? I meant uh… random flirting that will in no possible way turn out to be true love. 

*hopes she covered that plot slip well*

anyways, 2 more chapters, seein as I didn't post on Friday

enjoy!

Savvy Z


	30. 30

Savannah reached the door of Rosaline's cabin, and did not hesitate to hammer on the door as loudly as she possibly could. There was no sound, well, there was sound, but not the sort she wanted to hear. She hammered again, 

    "What?" She heard Jack's voice, she could tell he was quite angry at being interrupted, but she felt no guilt from her actions. She rolled her eyes, 

    "Sorry to interrupt Captain Sparrow," She said demurely, through the door, "But I thought maybe you might want to know that we've just spotted Corona." She heard a definite silence this time, then some shuffling, and she stepped back from the door just as Jack opened it. 

    "Just spotted?"

    "Sort of one of those, appeared out of nowhere type islands." Savannah said, casually. Jack didn't look like he wanted to leave.

    "Trust bloody Bill Turner to interrupt me." He said, "Give me one moment." He closed the door on her face. 

    "I'll just be on deck then." Savannah smirked and left them to it. 

    "Where's Jack?" Will was on deck, with his wife in tow. 

    "Just coming," Savannah assured him, "He'll be here any moment, but I shouldn't think we'll go ashore yet." 

    "Why not?" 

    "Cover of darkness." Jack appeared behind Savannah, and she held out her hand on cue as if indicating her reason to Will. Will's eyes darted over what they could see of the island. 

    "Won't that put us at a disadvantage?" Elizabeth inquired,

    "It would," Jack admitted, "But only if we were going in unarmed. With so many good swordsmen," Savannah coughed, indicating herself, "And swordswomen," Jack carried on, bowing his head to Savannah and putting his hands together, "Then we'll have a fightin' chance against whatever's waitin' on that island, Savvy?" Jack noticed the crew had all assembled on deck, along with Rosaline, and Marti who was currently hanging over the edge of the top deck. Jack stood at the helm to address his crew, 

    "Men!" He began, and got a few indignant looks, "And women," He added, "And ladies," He nodded at Rosaline who couldn't help going red in the cheeks, "Parrots, cabin boys, blacksmiths and Savannah," Clay stifled a chuckle, and received a piercing glare from Savannah, who only got a cheeky wink in reply. "This might just be the most dangerous, the most preposterous voyage any of us have ever embarked on. But on that island is Bootstrap Bill Turner, and we are going to give this ship back her quarter master!" The crew gave a cheer, "and when we do," he continued, "This voyage will be the most famous voyage ever to be made by any man (or woman) sailing under the Jolly Roger!" An even louder cheer went up, "Mr Clay, I want us to have a bloody good meal tonight, and then every single one of us will fight till there are none of the enemy left standing, what says you?" 

    "Aye!" The crew's voices rang out, 

    "Aye, plenty of food and plenty of rum!" Marti's voice floated down, from her mouth which was set in an excited grin, 

    "Just enough to get yer self goin' mind," Jack said to her, then looked back at the crew, "To work with ye! Load the canons, find yerself plenty of weaponry, this is a fight we are not goin' t' loose!" The crew scattered, their voices loud, and every man ready to fight. Ana Maria hoisted the Jolly Roger so that the island would know just who they were dealing with. Savannah was just about to join them when Jack held her back, 

    "Not sayin' I believes in any of the stuff you mess about with, but a bit of help wouldn' go a miss luv," Savannah grinned and turned around ready to head back to her own cabin. 

    "Aye sir," She saluted, "I shall see you in the galley." Jack nodded to her and began to talk to Will. 

    Rosaline was watching from the deck and saw Jack talking to Savannah before she had run off. She felt a pang of jealousy, and realised that what she felt was that same feeling she had pushed away earlier. She still didn't trust Jack, or she did, but she couldn't put her faith in him entirely. Of course, any woman would be jealous if they saw their partner talking to Savannah. Rosaline was small and skinny, she had mousy blond hair, and freckles. She had a figure, but in her opinion it wasn't a very good one. Savannah Flint was tall, and curvy. She had dark hair, and a perfect complexion. Even in just a plain shirt and leggings she managed to look flawless. She had perfectly coloured olive skin, almost shaped eyes, and long eye lashes that made her eyes look even bigger. When Rosaline and Jack had been rescued from the island, Savannah had been dressed much the same as Rosaline, in a dress, a corset, and even though she must have had to put together the look of an English lady in a rush, she had managed to pull it off fabulously. Better than Rosaline, who wasn't even _pretending. _

    Suddenly, something dawned on her. Not the fact that she had spent far too much self pity time, comparing herself to Savannah Flint, but at the start of her train of thought, she had called him her partner, as if they were an item. _We are not. _Rosaline insisted to herself, and began to regret what had almost happened in her cabin. _I am not seeing a pirate. _She assured herself, not very convincingly, _No, I'm not. _

    She turned and headed back to her cabin when she noticed Jack stop talking with Will. He would surely approach her when the opportunity presented itself, so she was not going to let it happen. 

    Down in the armoury, Marti, Will and Elizabeth were staking their claims. 

    "I've got me sword, two pistols, a dagger, and three extra rounds." Marti said, holding up her belonging, "D'ye think that be enough to slam these bastards into the ground?" Will was inspecting his own, 

    "I have the same, but I'm taking some explosives, just in case there are too many all at once." 

    "Cherry bombs, good plan," Marti said, approvingly, "That'd do it." Elizabeth had two pistols, and a sword, which she was glad Will had taught her how to use. 

    "It's handy living with a blacksmith." She added, "Otherwise I would have never learnt how to even hold a sword. She picked up a cutlass which had been left behind from the Pearl's previous crew. Next to the cutlass was a crate containing many pieces of fine weaponry. Marti caught her looking at it. 

    "Savannah looks set to be the bringer of a massacre," She observed, "No weapon not in that crate be worth usin'." Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, 

    "And we're safe living on a ship with some one like that?" 

    "Prob'ly not." Marti admitted, shrugging, "But we wouldn't have got this far wi'out her, would we? She be a strange one, but a bloody good pirate." 

    "Have you met her daughter?" Elizabeth asked, apprehensively, as if she feared Elena would be as bad as her mother. 

    "Aye," Marti nodded, "an' I tell's ye, that girl can handle a sword as well as I, and fire a direct shot from thirty feet. Savannah might have some strange ways, but she's done good by Elena. She's kept her alive you see, by teachin' her how to survive on her own. Savannah believes the more time she spends wi' her daughter, the more danger she's in." 

    "Quite right, I should imagine." Elizabeth agreed, 

    "Would be interesting to see which one of them would win an argument." Will commented, making the girls laugh at the thought. 

    "Elena's very respectful of her mother," Marti told him, "I'm not sure the situation arises very much." 

    "What about her father?" Elizabeth's smile disappeared when she realised she had said something very, very wrong. "What?" Marti looked serious, and checked behind her to make sure no one came in. She leant forward, 

    "Savannah was married to an Italian bloke. A pirate, to be sure. Name of Joseph Barritto. Elena has never met her father, because he died to save this very ship, almost eleven years ago."

    "Oh no," Elizabeth kept her voice low, "How terrible," 

    "Tis bloody terrible if any one ever mentions it to Savannah," Marti warned. "She loved that man with all her heart, and none of us thought she'd make it when he died. But she disappeared for two months, and the next time we saw her, she was about to give birth. Elena was born, and Savannah disappeared again, for nearly a year. In that time, Jack lost the Pearl, and for quite a long while, we thought he was dead. I met up with Savannah again in Spain when I was on the mainland. From the first I set eyes on her, I knew she had changed. She hardly ever smiled, everything was done by the book, as it should be. She made no mistakes, she spent all of her spare time training, travelling, and teaching Elena how to survive. She's got on with her life, and she's survived it. But ye be warned, I once saw her slice a man's head clean off when he uttered but one foul word about Joseph." Marti saw the look of disgust on Elizabeth's face. "It's her love for him, and for her daughter that's kept her goin' they says." 

    "Should my ears be burning?" Savannah was in the doorway, a pleasant, but distant smile on her lips. 

    "Would I tell ye if they should?" Marti answered back quickly, with a cheeky grin, which she hoped Savannah wouldn't notice was forced. 

    "I wouldn't expect you to. The crew have gathered in the galley, and I believe if you do not get there soon, there will not be much alcohol left." This shook Marti immediately, 

    "I'm off." 

    Savannah waited until the three were gone, and then walked slowly over to her crate. She took out a pistol. It was very old, and the barrel had been replaced, the handle refitted, but all in all, it was still the same pistol her grandfather had carried so many years ago. A fine family heirloom, she smiled to herself. But then, for a family who's motto was 'dead men tell no tales', it seemed very fitting. 

    She loaded a round into the barrel, and levelled her shot with the door. She strapped two more pistols to her belt, took out her sword, some grenades, a cutlass, a dagger, and three throwing knives, and arranged them on their places around her attire. She had added a coat to her image, and stuffed plenty of extra shots in the pockets. Then, she took the pistol that had belonged to her grandfather, and slipped it into a hidden harness under her shirt. She had throwing knives hidden in their slots in her boots, and grenades on a strap under her coat. She glanced over her crate one last time, and with an after though selected a smaller, lighter sword which she attached in a double sheath under her first. Just in case.

    When she had done this, she felt ready to join the rest of the crew. She closed the lid and clicked the lock on the crate, which was labelled plainly, with the name, 'flint'. She smiled as she saw yet again the words her daughter had inscribed at a young age, 

    _'So hands off, Savvy?' _Savannah sighed, knowing that Jack Sparrow had had a considerable influence of Elena at a young age. She feared what damage she may have done to her daughter by allowing it. 

Elena sounds cute right? Awww, a mini Savannah. 

Ahem. I don't think cute is a word much of the Caribbean would use for a mini Savannah. 

Anyways, glad your still enjoying the story u-ne-korn, and as far as I'm concerned, Jack Sparrow is like that fine vintage whisky he keeps in his cabin. Gets better with age! 

Love to y'all, 

Savvy Z  


	31. 31

Clay had really outdone himself. He had prepared beef steaks, and put with it just about every other piece of food left on the ship, barring what was reserved for the journey back. However, although no one had mentioned it, every one was thinking it. It would be very possible that they would not all be there on the journey back. 

     But no one had mentioned it, and no one was going to. They all knew that this may be their last meal all together, and they were determined to enjoy it. 

     "And here's Savannah!" Jack exclaimed when she entered, "We'd begun to think you'd forgot us luv," Savannah took a seat next to Will, 

     "As if I could." She tested him. Jack only grinned, 

     "Aye luv, what were I thinking?" Rosaline had joined them at Jack's request, and was sat between him and Ana Maria, where she had thought she would be most comfortable. 

     "Mr Clay, all of this food looks positively delicious," Elizabeth complimented. Clay's eyes kept flicking to Marti when he spoke, which every one except Marti seemed to have noticed. 

     "Why thank ye, Elizabeth," He accepted, "It did take me all bloody afternoon." Jack raised his glass in a toast, 

     "To the voyage, and the best crew I've ever sailed with." He said. Every one else raised their glasses to the middle, 

     "To friendship," Elizabeth said. "I know it sounds cheesy, but without it, we wouldn't have got this far." 

     "To Bill," Marti clinked her glass to the middle, 

     "To the future." Savannah added. 

"Aye," Everyone agreed, and drained their drinks. Savannah put her glass down first, 

"I have an idea." She told them. Some people looked worried, but Jack looked intrigued, 

"What's that then?" 

"I have a game we can play." 

"Savannah, not in public," Jack teased her, "I'm sorry, but you missed your chance." Savannah looked at him, and then ignored his comment, and the fact that Clay was sniggering annoyingly, 

"It's not that sort of game captain. This one _you _don't have to part with any money to take part in." She smiled triumphantly, and Jack gave in, 

"Alright miss smarty pants, out with it." 

"It's something I was taught in school. To get to know a group of people. It has occurred to me that not all of us know each other that well. What every one must do, is place their right hand in the middle of the table. Either in a fist, or a palm. Then, the minority each have to tell a secret, or something about themselves that some or all of the crew do not know." Ana Maria laughed, 

"Do we really want to know all of Jack Sparrow's secrets?" She cringed. But every one looked set to join in. 

"Alright then," Savannah said, "On the count of three, make a palm or fist. One, two, three," Every one's hands shot out, and each person was hurriedly counting the amount of hands, 

"Clay changed it!" Marti yelled, and giggled hysterically as he kicked out under the table at her. 

"It's fists," Gibbs told the table, there are more palms. Clay, Elizabeth, Ana Maria and Conch groaned inwardly, and Marti rounded on Clay first. 

"Come on Clay, tell us something we don't know." She was thoroughly enjoying the activity. Clay rose to the challenge. 

"Alright then," He said, "Over this voyage, I have had a total of six sex dreams. All about you." Marti screamed, 

"Ewwww! Ew, ew, ew!" She shook herself, "You disgusting… ew!" Every one laughed at Marti's expression, and Clay looked amused, but also embarrassed, and amazed he had admitted it so readily. "Moving swiftly on," Marti said, her eyes closed and her face screwed up, trying to rid herself of the mental image Clay had created. 

"Me." Elizabeth said. "Well, I don't know. I could say something very trivial. Because none of you really know me." 

"How many times did Will shag y' on yer weddin' night?" 

"Martina!" Elizabeth's face went red like a tomato. 

"I'm sure we'd all be happy to know that one," Jack grinned, "Come on Elizabeth, it's all in the name of fun luv," 

"Oh, easy for you to say," Elizabeth threw back. She covered her face with her hands, and shouted out a number, 

"Five!" 

"Bloody hell,"

"At it like rabbits!" Marti collapsed in a fit of giggles, and even Savannah started to laugh. Elizabeth buried her face under her husband's arm. 

"Next person!" Her muffled voice called out, 

"Ana Maria," Savannah said, "How convenient." Ana Maria looked genuinely terrified about what might come out. 

"What went on with you and our dear Captain not so long ago?" Clay pushed. Ana Maria was smiling, but not in a way that said she was going to answer. Jack pointed a finger at his first mate, 

"I giv ye special permission t' avoid that question," He told her, "An' I can have Clay thrown over board later if ye'd like." Every one laughed, and Clay realised that she wasn't going to answer. 

"Alright then, a less 'sex centred' question," Will offered, "Let's hear about how you ended up on Tortuga the first time we met." Ana Maria was happier with this question, 

"That's easy," She said, "I was there for a short visit, and whilst I was on the mainland, _someone,_" She looked pointedly at Jack, "stole by _boat_. My brand new boat, that I commandeered all by myself, and then he sailed it to England and _sunk it_." She turned away from Jack, who was fighting the urge not to laugh, "So when you met me, I had no choice but to be on Tortuga. Thanks to our dear captain." Savannah looked in the direction of Jeremy Conch, who was not looking happy about answering what ever question was thrown his way, 

"Has my daughter been involved with any members of the male gender?" Conch looked shocked, and every one else amused, 

"She's ten years old," Ana objected, "Why would she…" 

"She's Savannah's daughter," Marti reminded her friend, "Takes after her mother." Savannah's eyes flicked from Conch to Marti, 

"Excuse me." Marti grinned, annoyingly, 

"Come on then, give the woman an answer," Jack urged Conch, who looked torn between his fear of what Elena would do to him, or that of her mother's. But, the immediate threat was sat opposite him, so he decided to answer the question. 

"I've seen her with quite a few boys," He admitted, "But she doesn't have a boyfriend, and I shouldn't think there's that much opportunity for her to get up to no good. After all, she's only just left the convent, and her school now is quite strict." Savannah looked pleased. 

"Good." 

"Savannah, you can't use this as an excuse to find out secrets about your daughter," Will objected, "It's not fair." Savannah looked defeated, 

"Fine, I won't," She said, "But I couldn't resist." 

After every one had finished talking, Will, this time, gave the count for hands to shoot into the middle. Marti collapsed in a fit of giggles when she saw hers was the only fist. 

"Oh no! I don't like this game!" Several members of the crew suddenly had very evil looks on their faces, and Marti buried her face in her hands, "Oh god help me!"


	32. 32

Their meal eventually lasted for almost two hours, and by the time darkness fell, every one had quietened and there was a definite sense of foreboding as their new journey began. Every one had had to tell at least two things about themselves, accept Cotton, who found it incredibly amusing that he did not have to tell them anything. Jack and Will had told their tale of the rescue of Elizabeth, with some members of the crew butting in occasionally. Savannah had answered two very awkward questions about her sex life, but had managed to keep her head held high, as she told them with a straight face that she only once played a pirate wench because she needed to get a lift to Spain. Marti's eventful trip to Singapore had been told by Jack in full embarrassing detail, and all in all, the crew were embarrassed, and amused at the same time. But every one agreed that they felt they knew each other better, even Rosaline who had been embarrassed by the crews amusement at her upper class lifestyle.

When all the food was gone, all the stories were told, the drink drunk, the laughter ended and the daylight had faded away, Jack got to his feet. His face was grim, and the rest of the crew shared his sentiments. 

"It's time to move," He said, and the crew stood up, "Cotton, Gibbs, Mort and Clay, stock up the jolly boats," His voice was raised, but still serious, "Ana, take Elizabeth and the boy down to the armoury, and bring up the supplies. Savannah, you and Will get yerselves on deck," Just as they were about to leave, Jack leant over and whispered into Savannah's ear, "Go and get yer stuff from yer cabin," Savannah looked straight past him as if she hadn't heard him, but Jack saw her give a sharp nod when she had moved past him. Soon the entire crew had filed out, leaving Rosaline and Jack alone. 

"Tis up to you, what y' do," Jack told her squarely, "But I be warnin' ye now, stayin' on this ship on yer own might not be a good idea." Rosaline looked him in the eye. Was he caring about her welfare? Although there was no way in hell she was going to let him know it, she was madly jealous of the women in the crew at the moment, and couldn't get over thinking every flirtatious gesture he made was serious. But why would he want her to go with them if he was interested in Savannah, or Ana Maria, or Martina? But then maybe she would be an easy target for the enemy. Maybe he wanted bait, get her out of the way. But how could a man look at her so honestly and have intentions such as those? Rosaline's mind fought with itself. She definitely didn't want to stay on the ship on her own, but would she be in more danger on the island? "Can ye handle a weapon luv?" Jack looked doubtful. Not in a degrading way, because it was quite obvious that although Rosaline could fight on instinct, she still had her fight or flight pause, which was likely to be the pause that killed her, and she was brought up in a proper English society, her father was a high society figure, and she had never had to so much as touch as sword in her life. 

"Not as such," She admitted. Jack looked torn. He couldn't leave her on her own, but if she went with them, he couldn't waste time protecting her. It wasn't as if he didn't want to, but the whole point of the voyage was to save William Turner, and he could not let down his crew, his friends, for the safety of a woman he thought of as important. 

"Roz, if y' come with us, I might not be able to protect ye, and that's what I'm worried about." Rosaline thought she saw truth in his eyes, but wasn't sure. However, one thing she was sure of, was that she was at least going to give herself a fighting chance, even if he wasn't. 

"Give me a pistol, and give me a sword." She said slowly. She smiled, but as much as she tried, she couldn't do it very convincingly, "I'm a fast learner." She assured him. 

Jack sighed. He could see from her stance that Rosaline was trying to be brave, and he couldn't stand the thought that her bravery might just not be enough. She looked determined, to be sure, and he didn't deny that she probably was a fast learner. But there was no telling what they would be up against. _If I loose this woman, I will never forgive myself,_ Jack thought. 

_What is he thinking?_ Rosaline quizzed herself, _Why is he looking at me like that? What does it mean? _Then Jack stepped closer to her and held her face in his hands. He stared into her eyes and she stared back. 

"Stay in the centre of the group." He told her, twisting a lock of her hair in his fingers, and tucking it behind her ear, "Stay behind me, and stick close to Martina, or Savannah. Please try to stay alive." He almost sounded like he wasn't just begging her, but whatever powers had control over the outcome of the battle soon to come. Rosaline felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. She wanted desperately to believe this was genuine. To ignore the fact that Jack was a pirate, and she a Lady. Ignore doubt that always crept into her mind. Jack helped her ignore it by leaning in to kiss her. 

Rosaline pushed all 'what ifs' to the back of her mind, even though she knew they would come out sooner or later. If she could just ignore them long enough…

Jack pulled away, and left his hand on her cheek briefly. The look they shared was enough. Jack was worried about her, even though he was not particularly happy to admit to his feelings. Rosaline was fighting her jealousy, her betrayal, and her feelings for him. They knew at this moment, that they both had problems with the other, but for the time being, there was nothing they could do about it. 

"Will," Savannah approached the anxious blacksmith on deck, just as Jack and Rosaline left the galley. Will turned to meet her. She extended her hand to him, and he took it. "Good luck, what ever may happen." She said, "I really do hope we find your father. But remember," After shaking his hand, hers adjusted the sheath of her sword, and her weapons belt, "when it gets down to it, we all have to make sacrifices for what we truly want. We have to take everything we can."

"And give nothing back?" Will remembered hearing the toast from Jack and Mr Gibbs on his first visit to Tortuga. 

"Aye. That is the pirates way." Savannah looked out over the ocean to the shore. "We give nothing to the enemy, and we show no mercy. Mercy is what gets you, or the people you love killed." Will sensed there was something behind her statement, from the way she did not make eye contact when she said it. Her hand was poised over her pistol. He was about to say something more when Jack's orders interrupted them. They both turned to see everyone ready to go. 

Savannah headed a Jolly boat with Gibbs, Cotton and Mort. Will joined Jack, Rosaline and Elizabeth. 

"Ready for this, lad?" Jack asked him. Will checked his pistol, secured his sword and nodded firmly, 

"Ready as I'll ever be." 

"Then we be ready." Jack said, "Cast off! Take a good look at this wondrous ship men, and give yerselves a good reason to come back to it!" There was a cry from most of the crew, and the splash of three boats hitting the waters surface.

There was no light but that of the moon as the pirates rowed to shore. They left the boats tied to some rocks, in a place which looked practically inconspicuous. Whilst they were doing this, several had realised, but not voiced the concern of the fact that they were on quite a large island, with no map. 

Jack knew this of course, but he could tell by the look on Savannah's face that they had the only map they would need. He had realised whilst they were still on the ship, and knew that Savannah had already thought of it. She was prepared, because she hadn't asked him. She never went into any situation without a plan. Jack looked at her intently, watching her take in her surroundings. Rosaline looked on, the familiar green eyed monster surfacing, but being frightened off by the gremlins of her fear. 

Clay was also watching intently. Savannah had an incredible mind, he thought, but he still had his suspicions. No one could be that secretive without having something sinister to hide. Or at least something less than pleasant. 

"It's at the foot of that mountain," She whispered. "In a cave, but it's hard to find… It's… it's that way." She pointed out her index finger on her right hand, and then stumbled backward, Gibbs catching her. She shook her head and tried to get her balance back. She smiled at Gibbs, who had hold of her arm to steady her. 

"A good," Jack said, sarcastically, "A bloody forest."

Vanessa; thank you very much, your review made me smile at the end of a very hard day! 

Not much to say at the minute really, except im stuck somewhere in chapter 46 and I can't think how to end it!

Love y'all

Savvy Z


	33. 33

The group trudged through the forest, keeping their eyes on the darkness. Gibbs took a nervous swig from a flask, and offered it to Will, who was next to him. Will gladly took some, and Gibbs offered it to Savannah on his other side. 

"No thank you," She whispered, almost silently, "I do not wish to die a painful death by the hand of a beverage. I'd rather die on the end of a blade." Gibbs shrugged, with this new piece of information. For some one who did things by the book, and followed the code word for word, Savannah did not drink? There were parts of the pirates code that should only be followed if the pirate was drunk. 

Suddenly, their almost silent steps were interrupted by a sound like a stick snapping. The crew stopped and became alert. Then, as if from no where, an enormous… well, what looked like a bird, only it wasn't, it had to be some kind of mammal, swept down with an owl like screech, and headed directly for Rosaline. 

She screamed, and felt herself being pushed roughly to the ground. She blacked out momentarily, and the next time she looked up, she was being dragged to her feet. 

"Jack?" She could hardly see, 

"Come on luv, move yer feet," Jack grunted, "And don't look up." Rosaline ran alongside him, with her arm linked tightly in his, but she couldn't help looking upwards. What she saw horrified her. 

There must have been at least twenty, nearly twenty five maybe, of the winged beasts circling them and swooping down. They were like enormous eagles, but with legs, like those of a wolf. Their faces looked almost hound like, but with a deadly looking beak. The crew had scattered. 

"Will!" Elizabeth screamed out, as she saw her husband fall to the ground after taking an unsuccessful swing at a beast. The creature's talons grasped wildly, but did not grip him, and it flew back up into the air, circling again, and making ready for a dive at some one else. "Will," Elizabeth sunk to her knees beside him, and Will hissed in pain as he pulled himself up to her level. The creature's talons had shredded his shirt, and torn the skin on his chest. It wasn't deep luckily, but enough to produce plenty of blood, which the beasts circling seemed to be able to smell. Elizabeth half dragged her husband into the thicker forest, where she prayed that they couldn't be seen. 

She kept her eyes on the way they had come, where as Will's head turned to what was behind them. His eyes grew wide, 

"Elizabeth, run!" 

_"Elizabeth, run!" Elizabeth spun round, and felt her world shift for a moment. Her head was spinning, and all she could here was Will's screams of agony. _

_"Will!" She yelled, desperately, "WILL!" She screamed, and couldn't see where she was stood. Her eyes focussed, and she tried to listen for her husbands voice. She couldn't hear him. Her vision returned, and her face widened in horror when she saw Will laid on the ground, not moving. There was a puddle of deep, red blood around him, and it was spreading. "No! Will!" She slid to the ground at his side, her face stricken with grief and disbelief. Will wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. And his heart wasn't beating. _

_Clay was backed up against a tree. He was pinned there by one of the beasts, and could see Marti having trouble. He had braced himself for the pain of being ripped to shreds, but it had never come. Instead, the creature seemed to enjoy keeping him pinned there, helpless. _

_Marti was flung backwards as her attacker slashed her face with it's razor like talons, _

_"Marti!" Clay struggled, but felt a shooting pain and realised that he now had been pinned to the tree literally. The more he struggled, the worse it got. There was nothing he could do but watch. _

_Marti fought as hard as she could, but every time she got away, the beast swooped down and attacked her again. It seemed like the fight had gone on for an age, and she was tiring. _

_Clay could see it happening, could see her tiring. Don't let her die, he begged, please don't let it kill her. _

_The attacker grabbed Marti in it's claws and flapped off the ground. Marti yelled out in anger, and tried in vain to get loose. Then, Clay saw exactly what was about to happen and cried out before Marti did. _

_She was thrown back, and landed against a tree. But she didn't slid down to the ground. She stayed there. Clay thought he was going to vomit. Marti was dead, or he hoped she was. She was impaled on a tree branch, her back tight to the tree trunk. _

Clay's eyes closed, but all he could see was the horrific image. He felt his own body grow cold, and he started to shiver all over. When he opened his eyes, nothing changed. The darkness over took his entire mind… his entire body…

Well, what a lovely review 'Alex'. 

I don't know if maybe you are bitter because you can't write, have never got reviews yourself, or if you are just big headed because you can and you have. Then again, I'll just have to leave that question in the air because I can't be bothered to waste my time finding out.

Every one has their own opinion I suppose, but I personally believe that if you had enough time to waste to send malicious reviews then you must have far too much on your hands. 

For the sake of saying, folks, I do love reviews. I love what people think of my story, and what ideas they might have about it. And _honey, _if you had any idea of my involvement with 'the art' then perhaps you'd think twice about reviewing in future. Or perhaps not, maybe that's the kind of person you are. If so, I would ask you kindly not to honour me with your words of wisdom again, and to get on with your own life, as my memory of you will surely fade after this chapter is posted. 

Every one else, dum dum DUM! Could it be the end? Tune in next time guys! 

Savvy Z.


	34. Authors note

Authors note:

Woo hoo, me first one! 

Okay, being sad like I am, and reading through the Caribbean section of my huge atlas thingy, I found where the real Port Royale is. And dammit, it's in Jamaica, would you believe! So in the story, where it says Will and Elizabeth are from England, I've changed it to Jamaica okay? Just thought you'd like to know in case I confuse people by talking about Jamaica all of a sudden. 

Cheers me dears!

Savvy Z 


	35. 34

_Savannah felt herself switch between realities. She could feel that some one, or something was trying to take her away, take her mind somewhere else. She was angry, enraged in fact, and screamed at whoever it was, _

_"Get the hell off me!" She yelled, "You cannot do this, I am Savannah Flint, and this is my reality, and this is where I am going to stay!" She fought with the force, which was still trying to take her. _

_Images flashed in the nothingness that was her surroundings. She saw Elizabeth crouched over her husband, Marti and Clay brutally massacred, Gibbs, Mort, Ana Maria, but then she also saw the same people again, this time watching each other's horrific deaths. Savannah was not deterred. She had seen horror before, and although she was not particularly proud of it, she had occasionally been the cause of it. She could put up with seeing death, even of people she cared about. _

_She felt whatever it was digging around in her mind. Invading her memory, and there was nothing she could do. Get out, get out, get out! Her mind yelled. _

_Jack and Rosaline flashed up. Rosaline was yelling, screaming, crying at Jack, who was yelling back. Rosaline was crying, and Jack was looking at her as if she was a pathetic piece of the landscape. Like she meant nothing. Then she saw herself, and Jack. Suddenly she realised that this was what Rosaline was seeing. She could feel… she didn't trust Jack, and Savannah with him, herself with him… Savannah's mind was beginning to spin. She put her disembodied feet firmly on the metaphorical ground, and tried to steer herself back to reality, without success. She was loosing a battle, she was actually going to loose… _

_"Mother! Mother, help me!" She heard the voice of her daughter and spun round. There was nothing behind her, nothing in front, but yet she still heard her, "Mother!" _

_"Elena?" Savannah's subconscious moved forward, but her mind pulled her back, and took control. Suddenly, she found her voice. _

_"Oh, you think that was a good idea do you?" She was furious, "You thought you'd involve my daughter? Threaten MY DAUGHTER?" As her anger grew, he control did as well. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!" _

"Will!" Elizabeth suddenly found herself back in the forest. _Wait, I never left the forest… _

"Elizabeth?" 

"You aren't dead?" Will sat up, the wound on his chest stinging. 

"No…?" He looked up, "Where's the…" 

"Marti?" Clay picked her up off the ground, after finding he wasn't dead, and he wasn't pinned to a tree, "What? I saw…" Savannah interrupted them all, 

"We've been played for fools," She told them, her hands on her hips. "It was all in our minds." Will looked indignant, 

"This was all in my mind?" He indicated the dark red stain on his shirt, and the gashes underneath. Savannah looked confused. 

"They were here, Savannah," Elizabeth said, "To begin with, something was here, and then everything changed…" Marti managed to claw her way out of Clay's grip, 

"Where's Jack?" She demanded, brushing herself off, 

"Here," Jack's voice came muffled from the shadows, and he emerged, with Rosaline in his arms. Her face was buried in his neck, and he for one looked extremely shaken up. "What the bloody hell just happened?" 

"I believe that whatever these creatures were, they attempted to make out fears into reality," Savannah told him,

"Then how did you get us out of it? It was you, I presume?" Jack's arms were wrapped tightly around Rosaline's shaking form, and it looked like he wasn't prepared to let go any time soon. Savannah smiled, humourlessly, 

"You know me, Captain Sparrow. I do not get frightened. I get angry." 

"Well, it's a bloody good job ye did." Clay said, "Or they'd have had us all." 

"Yes," Ana Maria agreed, "We owe you our lives, Savannah." Savannah looked awkward, 

"Yes, well. So do a lot of people. But then, I am responsible for many deaths, so it's all in the aid of tipping the scale." 

"Of course." Marti smiled at Ana, who just shook her head knowingly. Jack spoke up, looking impatient, 

"So if those bloody great things are still around here somewhere, would some one care to tell me what you're all doin' stood round here?" Jack's entire life had become spilt in two different sections. He was captain, he had to get to Bill Turner, and get his crew back safely, so he should be leading them forward. But he didn't want to lead with Rosaline with him. He beckoned Gibbs over to him and transferred Rosaline to his arms. "Anythin' happens to her an' I'll have yer head," He told him, before taking his place at the front of the group with Will, who was closely followed by Elizabeth, still shaken by what had just happened. To be quite honest, every one was still shaken by what had happened, and by what they had seen. Clay stuck close to Marti and kept watching the sky. She noticed this, and tried to put Ana Maria between them, to avoid Clay. _Not here, and not now. _She thought, _I have plenty of time for flirting and… other things, when I'm not fighting for mine and my friends lives. _

Conch, the cabin boy was suddenly feeling very young. To be truthful, he was only twelve years old, although he looked tall for his age. He had been terrified by what he had seen. He had been against at least ten of the griffin like creatures, and had been trying to fight them off, unsuccessfully. Every time he looked up, he was trying to save a different member of the crew. And every one of them looked at him as if they had already given up hope because there was no way a cabin boy could save them. And every time, they had been right. He had failed. 

Savannah seemed to be the only one not profoundly affected, although this was not entirely true. She was good at putting on a front, good at pretending. She was irritated and annoyed by the fact that her mind had been so easily broken. They, whoever _they _were, had been able to access her thoughts. They would have been able to find Elena, to get to her. Savannah would never admit it, but the thought that she could not protect her daughter, was the one thing that truly terrified her. 

Jack used his sword to slice his way through the vines that hung down, so conveniently just in their path. His face was set, determined that he was going to get his crew through this, and out again. Alive. 

He stopped his thoughts from wandering to what had happened, to Rosaline, and decided that if he was going to survive, he couldn't let himself get distracted. 

Well, thanks a lot guys. I got some real nice reviews tonight, which totally made up for that one the other day, so thank you very much. 

MBM, Nachos eh? Each to their own, lol. I'm glad you like the story, and don't worry, I say cool far too many times as well. Keep reading dude!

Rae, thank you for your email, I can't tell you how much I appreciated it, but hey, I don't let flames get me down, and I am so going to be reading your new HP fic when it's up, or is it already? I'll check when I get chance. Ah, well, as it would be very cool to kill some main characters, if I did, it wouldn't be Will or Marti, I love them both too much! Perhaps I'll get bold in some future fics, or even future chapters of this fic, we shall see! But for now, you can rest easy. 

Ladyshadow, I love your Rum and Roses thingy, can I use it in one of my future chapters at some point? Keep reading, this is going to be a long story for you if you've just started it! Thanks for the review.

Vanessa, dude, I hated _writing _that chapter! But hey, at least I made it better. I know they crossed from England, but the thing was, I have written in earlier chapters that they were in England when Marti found them, and Ana said at one point that Jack had sailed her boat to 'England' and sunk it, when it was really Jamaica. Anyways, I've changed it now, so alls well. Don't think this story will be all happy cuddles till the end! If the evil dream sequence made you hate it, then there are worse things on their way! ***Pauses and gets sudden image of losing reviewer* **But it will be alright in the end! 

I think. 

Marianela, dude, are you and Lady shadow the same person? I don't know, I'm confused by my review lists! Anyway, thank if you aren't and thanks again if you are!

Love you all, 

Savvy Z


	36. 35

They finally made it to where Savannah had directed them. There was a mountain, sure enough, and what looked like the entrance to a cave. It was still dark, and the cave really did not look like the best option. Somewhere to be trapped. Somewhere with no escape. Jack stopped, and stared at the entrance for a few minutes, before turning to Will. 

"You sure you're ready for this?" He asked him. He had no idea what they were going to find in there, or what was going to find _them. _

"Yes." Will said, assuring himself at the same time. "What would you have done if I'd have said no?" Jack frowned, 

"I was going on an improvisational sort of a conversation," He said, "Cross that bridge… you know?" Will and Jack were both making this slightly humorous attempt at a conversation to put off actually taking the first steps inside. Marti got impatient, and pushed her way to the front while they spoke. She pushed through Will and Jack and ran into the cave, 

"Teeny!" The two men ran after her, with Savannah, Ana Maria, Mort and Clay in tow. Gibbs, Cotton and Conch remained outside. Gibbs, because he didn't think Jack would appreciate him running into certain danger with Rosaline. Conch didn't know whether to go in or not, and Gibbs answered the question before he had the chance to ask it. 

"Here," He indicated Rosaline, "You stay here with Cotton, and keep watch. The instant something happens, you bring Miss Jones here inside, or the Cap'n'll have you." Conch nodded, and the sense of responsibility flooded over him. 

"Aye sir," He said. Gibbs left the three of them and followed the rest of the crew. 

Gibbs joined them inside the cave, where they had all stopped. He stopped dead and stared around in awe. He had seen hoards before, pirate stashes, but this one was beyond anything he had ever seen. Beyond anything any of them had ever seen. There was enough gold and jewels piled up to make every one of them rich, ten times over. But it had gathered dust. The things at the bottom had lost their shine, and the whole hoard looked as if it had been there for at least a decade or more. 

"What now?" Will asked, in a hushed tone. Jack glanced around, 

"He's your dad. Where do we start?" 

"He's your friend." Will protested, "Everything I know about him is a lie." 

"Shh." Savannah interrupted, and pointed to something her eyes had spotted. "What's that?" 

They followed her gaze, but few could see anything out of the ordinary. Jack's eyes took on a look of understanding, as did Marti's. Every one else had no clue. 

Marti's patience ran out again, and she stepped out. She took a few steps and stopped as if waiting for something bad to happen. When it didn't, she looked questionably back at Jack. When she didn't get a direct order she took matters into her own hands. She started to run forward, not caring what noise she made. 

"Teeny, get back here!" Jack yelled, Marti stopped, 

"We're not goin' t' get very far standin' at the door, are we?" She yelled back,

"Did you ever think we might have a plan?" Marti started running again, shouting over her shoulder. 

"Porqué no lo hace usted toma su plan y pegarlo encima de su fondo! No cuido lo que usted dice, esto trabajaré!" Jack caught what she said and sighed, exasperated. 

"What did she say?" Will interrupted, when Marti had already reached the other side of the cave. Jack shook his head, 

"Something she should not be allowed to say to her bloody captain," Jack said, "Will, Savannah," He gestured to where Marti was and they crossed to her. 

"Holy shit." Savannah whistled. Will looked at her, astonished, 

"I don't think I've ever heard you say that before. What is it?" 

"This…" Savannah blew the dust off the old book on it's stand that Marti was looking at. "This book… I never thought that I'd actually…" 

"Savannah, what's in the bloody book?"

"This book is legend," She told him, "Jack, it's practically the answer to every philosophical question you can imagine." She told him. Marti was gazing at it, in disbelief, 

"The oracle," She whispered, having recognised it from the moment Savannah had pointed it out. She eyes flashed, she licked her lips, which had gone dry and her head suddenly snapped out of it's trance like state to look to her companions. "This, is it. It has to be. This is how we get Bill back,"

"Hold on just one moment," Jack said, stopping Marti from lifting the book, "I'm not usually one to stop y' going on yer gut feeling, but why would we need a mythological book to find a man who isn't… dead any more?" 

"Some one has done this," Savannah interjected, "Some one must have collected all of this treasure, obviously. And I have the feeling that if Bill Turner could get to us, he would have done by now. You two made enough noise when you came in to wake the dead. So that brings us to our next question,"

"Which is?" Will's nerves had changed to impatience. 

"Well, there's no doubt that the oracle here will help us uncover Turner's location, but the question remaining is, if some one went to all of this trouble, and has tried so hard to stop us from getting here, where are they now?" 

This thought in their minds, every one of them looked around them, cautiously. Savannah kept her eyes on the oracle. She opened it slowly, revealing pages upon pages of minute, foreign script. 

"Can you translate that?" Jack asked Savannah, worriedly, 

"Of course," She told him, "But it will take some time." 

"Back to the ship?" 

"Do we really want to face going back through that forest, only to have to make the journey again?" Savannah's query was left hanging in the air for a moment. 

"Would you say this place is secure?" 

"Secure as any." 

"Then we stay here. You translate, and we see what we can find." Jack told her, Marti and Will. He was keeping up a screen covering what he was really feeling. He looked quite confident, even to Savannah. But inside he felt defeated. There just didn't seem to be an end to all of this. Savannah took the book, Will and Marti went back to the rest of the crew and Jack's mind got the opportunity to wander. He let his guard drop and his mind skipped to Rosaline. He suddenly remembered her and he literally came back to earth with a bang. He glanced around and noticed Gibbs with the rest of the crew. 

"Gibbs, where's Roz?" He asked him when he joined the crew. 

"Outside with Cotton and the boy," He told him, "I didn't think it were a good idea to be bringin' her in here Cap'n." Jack nodded, his attention focussed on the cave entrance. "Stay here, and keep an eye on things." Jack's eyes were still on the entrance, even when he spoke to Gibbs, who had the distinct feeling Jack was so distracted that he hadn't even paid attention to what he had told him. 

Rosaline sat hugging her knees while Conch and Cotton stood watch, silently. She had tears in her eyes, that were threatening to spill over the edge. 

She was ashamed of herself, for having cried more in the last two weeks than she had done in the last two years. She felt so weak, which made her more upset, which made her feel weaker… 

She wanted Jack to come back out. He was the only one who had ever been able to make her feel safe. She wanted to be held in some one's arms who wasn't one of her parents, who wasn't one of the endless suitors her father lined up for her. She didn't care that Jack wasn't exactly the ideal man, at least from her parents' point of view, all she wanted was to feel safe. 

"You two inside, Will will fill y' in." Her forehead was rested on her knees, and she felt her heart almost stop when she heard Jack's voice. Now that he was here, the man Rosaline hadn't stopped wanting since he went away, she wasn't so sure any more. 

She felt him sit down next to her, but didn't look up. She didn't know what to say. Jack sat looking at her for a while, before he said anything. 

"You alright?" He asked her, knowing the answer. Rosaline couldn't answer, not without allowing the tears that were plaguing her to win their battle and make their escape. "Course, I know yer not. I don't think any of us are really. We all saw things we didn't want to see, Roz. But sometimes, getting a fear out in the open, can help it go away."

_Oh sure. _Rosaline thought to herself. _I can see it now. Well Jack, it seems my greatest fear is you running off with Savannah. I'm very jealous because I've watched you flirt with her when really it's none of my business. Oh yes, and even though you've saved my life countless times, I still don't trust you. _

"It's private." She whispered. She spoke quickly, and kept her head down. If she looked into his eyes she would surely snap. 

"Then that's how it'll stay, for now." Jack assured her. He tipped his head back and looked up at the stars. He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. "But when we get back to the Pearl, you an' me are goin' t' be having a very long chat." Rosaline knew this was probably true. If he'd have pressed her any more, she would have probably spilled everything anyway. 

"God I'm so weak." She whispered out loud. Whatever response she had expected, or feared, Jack's was certainly not it. 

"Sure you are." He said, sarcastically, "Yer so weak that you _only just _managed to drag a soakin' wet, unconscious pirate to the safety of the shore, and save his life. Yer so weak that you dug a bullet out of me back, and y've been onboard a pirate ship on a fools mission to a desert island with untold dangers, and yer still alive." Rosaline lifted her head, and Jack's hand moved to her chin. "You are not weak." He told her. 

As if trying to prove him wrong, Rosaline felt the tears win and begin to roll down her cheeks. Jack sighed. 

"Women are the lucky ones, you know," He told her. Rosaline frowned, not understanding, 

"Whatever do you mean?"

"See, y' can cry. Yer allowed to because yer a woman, but if one of us men feel like doin' it, it's pathetic." Rosaline smiled, 

"I'll bet Savannah or Ana Maria have never cried." She offered, but Jack shook his head, 

"Seen em both blubberin'." He said, simply, "But yer not t' say I told you."

"Not scared of a couple of girls are you?" Rosaline teased, wiping her eyes. 

"Not ever. But I've had hand prints on me face for more than a week when Ana's lost 'er temper. And Savannah… Well, I'm not suicidal. Only suicidal people picks a fight with her temper." Jack joked, and mock shuddered at the memory. Rosaline couldn't help but wish a tiny bit that he could have held the same amount of respect for her. 

"When was the last time you cried?" She asked him, for she felt that he wouldn't have brought it up, if it didn't have some connection with him. Jack looked distant for a moment, 

"Be when I were a lad," He said, inconclusively. Rosaline frowned. 

"Why?" 

"Scraped me knee or somethin' luv, I don't exactly remember the details." Jack was joking around, and obviously avoiding the issue. Rosaline put her hand on his arm. 

"Lier." She expected one of his usual sarcastic responses, but instead he stood up roughly, pushing her arm aside, and looked set to go back inside the cave. "Jack," She stood up and tried to follow him. "I'm sorry," She said, sincerely, trying to take his arm. She didn't know what she had done, but she knew it was serious, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything, I just wanted to…" 

Jack shook of her arm, and stood at the entrance to the cave, not quite inside, with his arms folder across his chest, 

"Bloody women," He muttered, angrily. Rosaline was shocked by the change of tone in his voice. "Listen Rosaline, you don't want t' talk to me, that's fine. But you do _not _stick yer nose into my life like we're some kind of couple." Rosaline had got the general gist of the rest of his words by the tone, and random words she heard here and there. But she had not listened since the second word. 'Rosaline'. He had called her 'Rosaline'. Not Roz, not Luv, he had called her 'Rosaline'. She knew every one else on the Pearl called her it, and she had hated being called Roz, but the way it sounded when coming out of Jack's mouth made it sound terrible. She opened her mouth to protest, but shut it again. She was angry now. Jack had just flared up at her for no reason. What right did he have to do that? Her mouth set in a line and she pushed past him going into the cave before he even had the chance. Jack was left staring in front of him, at where she had been standing before. He sighed. "Bloody women." And then followed her inside, to the only place there was to go. 


	37. 36

Ana Maria noticed how the pair came in separately. She also noticed how angry Rosaline looked, even though she was trying to conceal it. Jack's anger had gone, and his facial expression was unreadable. 

He had not followed Rosaline when she reached the group, but instead had gone to see how Savannah's translation was going. 

Ana frowned, and saw Rosaline being approached by Elizabeth, who must have asked her if she was alright, because Ana could see Rosaline's reaction. She looked like she was waving it off, saying she was fine, and just a bit shaken by what had happened on their journey there. Elizabeth had sounded like she was agreeing, but Ana could see Rosaline wasn't paying much attention to the conversation. She put up her hand to Marti, who was just about to speak to her, 

"I'm going to go talk to Rosaline a minute," She told her friend. Marti looked in Rosaline's direction, and could now only see the act she was putting on. 

"Why, what's up with her?" Marti asked, only half interested, but staying in the conversation to avoid having to talk to Clay. 

"I'm not sure," Ana said, "Somethin'." Marti groaned inwardly when Ana left her. She quickly latched herself onto Mort and Gibbs, who were testing what looked like it could have been meant to be a trap door. She pushed herself into the middle of them both, and began talking loudly about her experience with trap doors. Thankfully, Mort picked up on this and made a crude remark, which allowed Marti to have a go back at him, and get involved in conversation. She didn't look back at Clay, but hoped he'd lost interest. It wasn't as if she wasn't attracted to him. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't. But she couldn't deal with anything like this while her attention was on finding Bill Turner. And she had always seemed to make the wrong choices when it came to men. Having Bill around had brought her more luck. She knew him so well it was like having a big brother, that she could as all the awkward questions like, how do you tell a drunken pirate you're not interested without him getting angry and trying to rape you? Bill's answer had been to slice his head off, therefore avoiding any unnecessary confrontation. 

"Alright?" Ana's voice made Rosaline jump. Elizabeth had been taken away by her husband, and Rosaline had been staring into space. 

"What?" She noticed Ana, "Oh, Ana Maria, sorry, I wasn't listening." 

"What's up?" Rosaline tried unconvincingly to look confused, 

"What do you mean?" 

"Rosaline, when you and Jack came in you looked angry about something. What did he say to you?" Rosaline sighed, partly because she didn't want to have to talk about it, and partly because every time she heard her name, she was reminded of the awful way Jack had said it earlier. 

"He didn't say anything really," She lied, "But I think I made him angry about something… I don't know… when I tried to apologise he got angry." 

"What did you say?" Rosaline looked uncomfortable, 

"I don't know if I should tell you," She admitted, "I don't know how private it was. It must have been to get him that angry." 

"Are you sure he was angry?" Ana asked her. 

"Of course, he basically told me that his life was none of my business." She said. Ana glanced at Jack, who was still with Savannah, 

"Some times, when Jack gets upset, he gets angry." Ana said, knowingly, "He's got a whole problem with showing his feelings goin' on. Unless of course they're humorous, or anger, or just general drunken ramblin'. He'll avoid whatever your question was, and if y' don't want to tell me that's fine, but there isn't a lot about Jack I don't know, so I might be able to tell y' what y' said wrong. But he'll get angry, in the attempt to put you off him."

"How do you know all of this?" Rosaline inquired, curious. Ana seemed to know a lot more about Jack than she let on. Ana looked awkward, 

"Y've gathered from the crew that there's a history between us," She said quickly, "It was not a very productive one. In fact, it was afterwards, when I had learnt to spot the strange ways Jack's mind works, that I actually was able to understand him. He had got angry at me, I had got angry at him for getting' angry at me, and the pair of us were like time bombs, just waiting to explode. Now of course, I see what he was trying to do, and it worked. But Rosaline, I've seen how he is with you. He's spent more time in his cabin since we picked you up than he ever has. That's because when he's in there he doesn't have to put on a show, doesn't have to be the captain. He can just be a normal human being, like the rest of us, and have real feelings." 

"So what can I do?" Rosaline asked, 

"Don't give up." Ana said, firmly, "Whatever you want to know, force it out of him. It might take a lot of yelling, a lot of 'I hate you's' but I believe you may be the only one who could do it. Because he cares about you." 

"He cares about the whole crew." Rosaline objected, "He cares about you, and Savannah, and Martina…" 

"Jack and Marti have been through a lot together," Ana said, indecisively, "Jack was there for Savannah when her husband Joseph died, and when her daughter Elena was born. He's wonderful at helpin' the rest of us get our problems out into the open. He can make a joke of them, and make us realise they aren't all that bad. But he can't for the life of him practice what he preaches." Rosaline thought for a moment. 

"It was silly really," She said, "He just made a joke about how women have the excuse to cry because they're women, and how it was unfair that men couldn't. Then I asked him when the last time he cried was, and he said when he was a boy, he said he must have fallen down or something. I knew he was lying, so I asked him again and then he just flipped. He completely closed up, and told me…" 

"Pretty much to get lost?" Ana offered. Rosaline sighed, and nodded. 

"I'll admit that I've told Jack something, very personal. He was… he made me feel better about it," She said, quickly, "And I never imagined that he would react like that when I wanted to return the favour." 

"That's Jack," Ana shrugged, "To be honest, I don't know what it was that made him upset, or angry, whatever. But you have to make a choice, right now."

"What?"

"Do you want to know what Jack is hiding? Or are you goin' t' give in to those feelings _you _are hidin'?" Rosaline's head snapped up,

"What do you mean?" Ana looked indignant, 

"Oh, please. Do you really think that I didn't notice the way you looked when I mentioned me and the captain? Or when you spoke about Savannah or Marti? You're jealous." 

"No I'm not," Rosaline objected, but Ana smiled kindly, 

"Yes you are, but don't worry. I'm not sayin' I would be if I were in the same situation, but that's only because I know Jack, and Marti, and Savannah. I just think you might want to give it a try. You wouldn't want to miss out on what could be the best opportunity of your life." 

"No…" Rosaline frowned, and looked down at her hands, trying to make a decision. Her mind was arguing with itself. Again. Ana smiled, and left her to it. 

Hellooo everyone! 

Vanessa, glad to know you're hooked, ooo the power! Te he! I wondered how I could show Roz's jealousy without some kind of all out bitch fight, because some how I don't think she's that kind of person! 

Will_Turner_is_so_mine, love the name dude! I think Liz might disagree though! I did no they are making a PotC 2, but I don't know much about it. I know Jack's in it, but I don't know anything else, anything you know?  

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next,

Love you all, and wouldn't be here without ya, 

Savvy Z


	38. 37

"What's wrong with you?" Savannah asked her moody companion. "No offence meant, but this is taking a lot of concentration. One slip and the whole thing could be messed up." 

     "Sorry to be a burden on y' luv." Jack muttered. Savannah sighed, and looked up from her page. 

     "Come on then, what's she done now?" 

     "She hasn't done anythin'." 

     "Then what have you done?" 

     "Been an idiot." 

     "Nothing out of the ordinary then." Savannah said, cuttingly, 

     "Oh that's great, that is. I'm here, spillin' me guts out, and all ye can do is insult me." Jack said, leaning back against the wall, looking as though Savannah's words had hurt him,

     "I assure you I wouldn't if I wasn't translating an ancient script in an unknown time frame, and if there was any use in you telling me what you should be telling Rosaline." Jack glared at the back of Savannah's head, but knew she was right. He sighed. 

     "So I suppose you aren't up for making her jealous then." He muttered. Savannah smiled, with her back to him, so he couldn't see her. 

     "Take my advice." She said, not looking up from her book. "Get over your immature, macho self image, and realise that when you love some one, and they love you, they don't care what sort of charade you put on, and they want to be able to be there for you, and understand you." 

     "I am not in love." Jack said firmly. Savannah coughed exaggeratedly, 

     "Ahem, yeah right." 

     "I'm not." Savannah didn't say anything, and Jack shook his head, and stared up at the ceiling, "I'm not." He said again, as if trying to convince himself. 

     It had been six hours since the discovery of the oracle. Savannah was sat in her exact same position, now whispering the text to herself as she worked. The area had been secured, and there was no sign of any one around. The rest of the crew could do nothing to help, and had been talking amongst themselves for almost an hour. Will, Marti and Elizabeth were involved in a conversation, most likely about their intended rescuee, Mort, Gibbs, Clay and Conch were talking, with random comments cawed by Cotton's parrot. Jack sat further out from the group. Ana had been trying to convince him to talk to Rosaline, who was listening politely, and only speaking when she was addressed, in Will's conversation. 

     But Jack was stubborn. Ana could see how much all of this was tearing him apart, but he wouldn't back down. There was only the muffled sounds of conversations, until Savannah approached the crew silently, and threw the book down on the ground. Every one jumped, and she smiled. 

     "Now that I have your attention," she said, "I've finished." 

     "Already?" Will asked, standing up.

     "It's been six hours," Savannah said, wearily, "No, I haven't done the whole thing. Just the bits we need. It's another curse." 

     "Bloody curses," Jack said, standing behind Savannah, 

     "Oh, but this should be easy to lift," Savannah said, "No need for blood or anything. It's just a chant." Jack rolled his eyes at Will, who could see exactly what his friend was thinking. Just a chant. Like it was going to be that simple. Savannah didn't notice the looks between the two men. 

     "And when we say this chant, Bill's back? Just like that?" Marti asked, disbelieving. For a pirate, she had never been particularly superstitious, and was always critical of anything slightly magickal. 

     "That's the plan," Savannah said, "Whether that's what happens or not depends on us I suppose. If any one doesn't believe this will work, then they shouldn't take part. Do you have faith Martina?" Marti wasn't expecting this direct question, and looked surprised, 

     "I'll believe anything at the moment." She said, firmly. Every one else agreed. They had seen things on that island that some of them would not have thought possible. What was another strange event to add to the works? 

     "Then it's settled. Obviously, we can't all see the book, but if every one joins in, then I'm sure we'll all get the general gist." Clay looked at Mort doubtfully, who returned the sentiments. But neither man had chance to voice their thoughts, when Savannah had already started reading out the chant. 

     Jack was paying full attention, as was Marti, Will, Elizabeth, Gibbs, all watched and listened intently. After a while, Marti joined in, followed by Jack, then Will, then the rest. 

"Hor oss! De tatt noe som tilhorer oss! Returner det straks! Sentirci! Lei ha portato qualcosa che appartiene a noi! Ritornare esso subito!" It took Clay a while to get it right, and he kept sending worried glances to Mort, who sent them back. Conch the cabin boy looked like he was down the river without a paddle. He kept trying, and after two or three tries he just about had it. 

Rosaline wasn't sure whether she should join in or not. She didn't know the man they were apparently saving, she didn't believe in magick, but somehow, the way that every one else believed so strongly that it would work that she was just about convinced. She stood with Ana Maria, who had her eyes set on Marti. 

"…ha portato qualcosa…" Jack could see the amount of fear, worry and apprehension on Marti's face. Her fists were clenched by her side, and her voice was wavering. Jack grabbed her hand and held it tightly in his. She squeezed it and kept going. 

Rosaline noticed this. It's just a friendship thing. She told herself, That's all. But the way Jack showed so much concern for Marti, and hadn't spoken to her since they had argued earlier… Rosaline dragged her eyes from the pair and tried to concentrate on what was happening. 

Will had never known his father. He had no idea what to expect, he wouldn't know if the experience had changed him at all, and in that he felt he was lucky. He had nothing to fear unlike Marti, and he had Elizabeth. Their hands were entwined, and Will felt a lot less tense knowing she was there. No matter what happened to them, he absolutely knew that they would be together. She had given up everything for him, and he would never forget that. 

All of a sudden, the walls started to shake. Mort, Conch, Clay and Ana Maria glanced around nervously, but did not break the chant. Every single person could feel the energy building inside each of them. Rosaline looked at Ana, confused as to what the feeling inside of her was, but she got no response. The amount of concentration written on her face was indescribable. Rosaline tried to look elsewhere, but every time she looked away, her eyes always slid back to Jack and Marti. 

They even looked similar. They dressed in the same style, they both had the same sun scorched skin, the same coloured hair, and some of the same mannerisms. They looked so perfectly matched to each other, and interacted with each other in such a way that Rosaline was beginning to wonder why she even stood a chance. Then she was angry with herself for sounding so desperate in her own mind. 

Rosaline's thoughts were interrupted when something began to happen. The ground… it wasn't shaking like in and earthquake style, but something strange was going on with the floor. It was moving, but then it wasn't. Then it moved, just enough for Rosaline to start to believe the ground was really moving, then it stopped again, and started, and stopped. Rosaline was beginning to feel slightly sick. Then suddenly, the ground stopped, everything stopped, and it was like the entire world had stopped spinning. Then it started again, with a jolt. Rosaline, Ana, Elizabeth and Gibbs lost their footing and fell backwards. The lights… or the general light that filled the cave… _where did the light come from? _–went out. It was pitch black. Rosaline heard voices. She heard Will and Elizabeth, who were near to her. She heard Clay, and the she heard Marti. The light was returning slowly, and she could just make out Ana in front of her. Marti screamed, 

"Bloody hell!" She exclaimed. Every ones eyes followed Marti's and after a while, could make out what she was staring at dumbly. There was a figure, it wasn't moving at all. It was still, like a statue. Marti got to her feet, as did Will. Their eyes were wide. The light came back enough for Marti to see that it had worked. There in front of her stood Bootstrap Bill Turner. 

Marti screamed again and ran forward, not caring about the consequences. She leapt onto her friend and she was relieved when she felt his arms wrap around her. "He's alive!" She yelled, "He's a bloody living, breathin' person!" 

"Course I am," 

Will's heart almost stopped when he heard his father's voice for the first time since he had been to young to remember. Every one had told him he looked like his father, and he was yet to see if this was true, but he certainly didn't sound like him. Bill Turner's voice was deep, gravelly and his accent was similar to Jack's. Will stood, still with Elizabeth, not knowing at all what to say. 

Jack stepped forward to try to save his friend from Marti's clamp like grip.

"Lookin' good for a dead man." Jack commented, greeted by a wide grin. 

"Still alive Jack? Not met with the gallows yet then." 

"Oh, he has," Will had found his voice at last, "On several occasions." Bill turned to see the source of the voice that sounded so familiar. His eyes widened, as did Will's when he saw his father. 

He _did _look like him. Admittedly, his father looked older, darker skinned, rougher around the edges. But the eyes… Will's eyes were like photocopies of his fathers. 

"Will," His father could hardly believe his eyes. 

Marti was still hanging onto Bill, and Rosaline, although caught up in the emotion of the moment, still noticed Jack's expression. 

Was it remorse? Regret? She couldn't really work out. She felt the sense of anger, of desperation creeping back, and she didn't like it. 

Then, there was a click. Jack heard it, Bill heard it, every one heard it. They froze. Even Rosaline could recognise that sound. It was a pistol being loaded. Some where in the cave, in close proximity, there was some one with a loaded gun. 

Marti stepped in front of Bill, who pushed her aside, giving her a look that told her she was stupid to be so protective of some one practically twice her size. 

Every one was on edge, knowing there was nothing they could do if whoever it was used that shot. 

"Jack…" Will's voice was hushed, and Jack's head snapped to his friend's direction, "…Where's Savannah?" 

Jack's heart sunk. He, and every one else looked to where Savannah had been standing seeing only the book she had translated, it's pages flicking in the breeze. 

"Savannah? Flint's here?" Bill asked urgently, 

"We wouldn't have gotten here if it weren't for…" 

"…Me." Savannah appeared, from behind a large wooden chest. She stood on the chest, and sure enough, there was her pistol. Her grandfather's pistol. No one knew she had it with her. If they had, Jack for one might have guessed something was wrong. She never used that pistol. She hadn't used it since Joseph had died. Savannah smiled, unpleasantly. "Alright there Bill?" 

Ha ha ha ha! 

W_T_I_S_M, dude, here's the deal, you have Orlando, I'll have Johnny, Savvy? He he!

U_ne_korn, I have actually already said that I know this fact, but thanks for mentioning it, full marks for observation! What I had done by mistake was said that Port Royale was in England, and that Jack had met Will there and some other stuff. 

For further reference, I do know that Will, Liz, and that lot are originally from England! 

Anyways, don't you just hate me for that chapter? 

I'd say sorry, but I am so not. This has to be my favourite one. 

Anyways, I'll update tomorrow. Maybe. Or maybe I'll just give it a few days… he he he. 

Savvy Z!


	39. 38

"Savannah? Flint's here?" Bill asked urgently, 

"We wouldn't have gotten here if it weren't for…" 

"…Me." Savannah appeared, from behind a large wooden chest. She stood on the chest, and sure enough, there was her pistol. Her grandfather's pistol. No one knew she had it with her. If they had, Jack for one might have guessed something was wrong. She never used that pistol. She hadn't used it since Joseph had died. Savannah smiled, unpleasantly. "Alright there Bill?" 

Everyone's jaws dropped. Savannah, Savannah Flint had just betrayed them? She had used them to get here? 

"Flint… What are you doin'?" Bill said slowly, keeping his eyes on the barrel of the gun. 

"Savannah…" Jack looked on in disbelief, his face an image of betrayal, and annoyance at himself for not foreseeing this. 

"Well, I'm not sure," Savannah started sarcastically, "But I _think _I'm just about to blow your head off you murderous bastard." Marti ran out in front of Bill, knowing that she was in the bullet's path, but not caring, 

"Teeny don't be a bloody idiot!" Jack yelled, and pulled her back, "Savannah you know perfectly well if you pull that trigger you won't leave this room alive." 

"Really?" Savannah didn't break eye contact, and seemed delighted that she could see fear in her opponent's eyes. "Shall we test that theory?" She took aim, 

"No!" Will and Marti both ran forward at the same moment, Marti tearing herself out of Jack's grasp. Savannah rolled her eyes, 

"Give me one good reason not to, and I might think about it. But don't get your hopes up, because I'm feeling particularly vengeful right now." 

"Vengeful for what?" Will demanded desperately, "What are you talking about?" Savannah's eyes flashed, and she looked more dangerous than the crew could have ever imagined. 

"There's a lot you don't know about your dear old dad, William," She said, bitterly, "Did you know he's a murderer?" 

"He's a pirate." Will said bluntly. 

"Oh yes. And we're all murderers because of that are we? Now, I'm not talking about random slaughter. Oh no. I think Mr Turner here knows _exactly _what I'm talking about." 

"Flint… I know what this is about, and I'm givin' y' me word I had nothing to do with it," Bill kept his voice calm, but he flinched slightly when Savannah laughed loudly. 

"Oh, and I'm going to believe you am I? You _murdered _him. I know you did. I found a certain letter, I heard several conversations, I found a bullet, one that only came from your pistol. I know it was you." Savannah pointed the gun, and her expression changed. It was as if she suddenly couldn't hide any more, she couldn't put on her cool, calm, collected act. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Clay would have grinned. This was what he had been waiting for. Savannah was about to break down. This was what she had been hiding all that time. "You took away a husband, and a father. Did you know Joseph is a father? There's a little girl some where in this world who will never know her father because of you. Now, I might feel some guilt about taking Will's father away from him, the lad's done nothing wrong, but I'd be saving him a lot of grief later in his life in my opinion." 

"Flint, _Barbosa _killed Joseph. I _saw _him. You might not believe me, but it's the truth." Savannah aimed again, and her fingers hovered over the trigger. Jack saw she was going to pull it, there was no way she was going to believe what Bill was telling her… 

A shot rang out. But no one fell to the ground. Instead, Savannah's pistol dropped to the ground. Rosaline was shaking. She had never fired a gun in her life. She didn't even know what she was doing. Never the less, the pistol she held was smoking, and Savannah was distracted by the pain that shot through her hand. She didn't loose concentration for long, but it was long enough. Clay grabbed her from behind before she could get another pistol. 

Savannah kicked her leg right over her shoulder and smacked Clay in the face twice. He stumbled back, his vision blurred. Savannah took her chance, and ran full pelt out of the door. 

Everyone was to shocked to even chase after her, and Jack knew there was no hope in trying. Savannah didn't want to be caught, and she wouldn't be. 

Rosaline's pistol dropped to the floor breaking the silence. Ana pulled herself out of her state of shock and went over to her. 

Will, Marti and Bill stood staring at each other. None of them could quite believe what had just happened. Jack was not staring quite so dumbly though. 

"Why would Savannah believe so strongly that you were the one who killed Joseph Barritto?" He asked Bill, his voice indicating that he was not in the mood for lies. 

"I wrote a letter, to you in fact, when Joseph was killed. Of course, I didn't accuse Barbosa of it. He were Captain then, and if he found that letter… Flint must have got the wrong end of the stick. By then the crew had about had it with me, and the feeling was mutual."

"What about the bullet?"

"It was my pistol, I don't deny that. Bloody Barbosa, still causin' trouble even after he's dead. I take it he is, now the curse is broken?"

"Aye, dead as a doornail." Jack grinned, "By the very pistol he gave me, ten years back." 

"Revenge is a powerful thing. As Flint has proven to us." 

"What are we goin' t' do about Savannah?" Marti demanded, "She would have shot you!" 

"What you have us do? Hunt her down and leave Elena orphaned?" Jack suggested, pointing out to Marti that she was being foolish. "I'll go find her." Ana Maria stopped him, and spoke to him quietly, 

"Leave her, she needs time to think." She said, "In the meantime, there's someone you _should _be talking to." Ana looked at him meaningfully, and Jack leant side wards so he could see Rosaline behind her. 

"Right…" He said, not looking forward to this one bit. "But maybe _you, _bein' a woman and all, should stay here with Rosaline, while I find Savannah." 

"And maybe _you, _bein' Jack Sparrow should stay here with Rosaline, unless you want to drive her away even more by going after Savannah. And don't say you want to drive her away, because you know perfectly well that you don't. Not really." Jack knew Ana was not going to let him past unless he agreed to stay. 

"Fine." He said, "But I am not happy about this." He pointed his finger in her face. 

"I'm sure you'll thank me. One day." Ana added, stepping aside and letting him through. 

A slightly more high spirited conversation and reunion was going on, on the other side of the cave. Marti had stepped back so that father and son could reunite. Will had introduced Elizabeth, who discovered where Will had got his honourable nature from. 

Gibbs greeted Bill with a 'long time no see', and Mort and Clay introduced themselves, (and Cotton). 

Jack watched all this from where he a sat beside Rosaline. 

"Y' know, y' did somethin' plenty of experienced pirates couldn't even manage." He offered, still looking at the scene in front of them, "Y' managed to get a shot in Savannah Flint." 

"Who cares who it was? Guns and me don't mix." 

"But you saved Bill." Rosaline head snapped up, 

"Well that's all that matters then isn't it. Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd rather be on my own. Or at least, not with you." Jack had been expecting some kind of hostile response. Could he really have pushed her away so far that he couldn't redeem himself? 

"Well, I would mind actually." He said, remembering what Savannah had told him. Even though she had just tried to kill one of his oldest friends, he could help but still believe in her advice. He was going to stick at this, no matter how angry he got, no matter how angry she got. He was going to find a way to make it work. Jack had realised, out in the woods, just how much Rosaline had come to mean to him in such a short amount of time. But what had put him off, was the thought that he had been torn between her and his crew. He had actually been unable to decide which was most important to him. A situation like that could make a lot of trouble for a Captain. Could he actually be falling in love with this woman? "That isn't all that matters, because you obviously aren't very happy about what you did." 

Rosaline said nothing. Her face was set, determined that she didn't need to hear any of what Jack had to say. 

"Roz, you might not believe it, but I care about you being upset. I care a lot." 

"Yes, just like you care about Savannah, or Martina. I wonder what would have happened if it was one of them that you were left stuck on that island with?" Realisation dawned on Jack. He should have seen it before, Rosaline was jealous. Jealous of the other women on the ship that he flirted with because it was what he always did. But how was she to know that? He should have paid more attention, he should have noticed earlier, but he was too busy… Jack sighed… He had been busy. Busy with Marti. 

"If I was stuck on that island with Savannah, I wouldn't have got very far, because no man has a hope with her. Her heart belongs to Joseph, as you've probably gathered. And I wouldn' have anyway, seein' as no matter how many times I approach the woman, she always cuts me short. It's just a bit of fun Roz, there's no meanin' in it." Rosaline made a sort of, 'yeah right' sound. Jack shook his head, 

"What do I have to say to make you believe me?" 

"There's nothing you can say, because I saw the look on your face when Marti was with Will's father. You saw how much she cared about him, and you want her to feel the same about you." She accused. Then, completely unexpectedly, Jack laughed. "What's so funny?" She demanded, 

"Because you're exactly right." He said, "I do want her to feel the same way about me, I always have and there's nothing I can do about it. But you don't know how she feels about him, do you?" Rosaline was confused, but shook her head anyway, "She loves him like a brother. He was always there for her when she was growing up, and he protected her, and taught her how to protect herself. I should have been the one to do that, but I didn't want to know." 

"What are you talking about?" Rosaline demanded, Jack's voice grew low, 

"Martina will never be me girlfriend Roz, because she's me bloody sister!"

MBM, glad you and Steph like the story. Hows being king of England working out for ya? Anyway, since you commanded, I have obeyed! Heres the next chapter, hope you enjoyed it. 

Savvy Z


	40. 39

"Martina will never be me girlfriend Roz, because she's me bloody sister!" 

Rosaline did a double take, and if she hadn't been sat down, she would have fallen down. Then, completely out of character, she laughed. She laughed with relief, and with immense amusement at herself for being so immature. She had been so blind, she had been so _jealous_. She couldn't help herself, even though she could tell from Jack's expression that he hadn't wanted her to know this piece of information. 

"I'm sorry," She said, desperately trying to be serious. "I am, really, I just can't believe I didn't guess!" 

"Of course y' didn't guess," Jack said, in a hushed voice, indicating that she should lower her voice as well, "Because no one knows." 

"What?" Rosaline didn't understand, "Why?"

"Because if I kill some merchant, or another pirate, or any one, and there's some one else out for revenge they can be out for my blood. But, if that some one knows that I have a sister, if they can't get to me…"

"They'll get to her." Rosaline realised. "So the pair of you have an agreement to completely deny that you're related to stay safe?"

"Aye, that's right." Jack admitted. 

"But she's Spanish," She pointed out, 

"Different fathers." Jack told her. "Same mother. I had a Spanish mother, and an English father. Her father was Spanish." 

"Doesn't _any one _know?" 

"Bill, and Ana Maria." Jack said, "Bill was the one who found me for her. I didn't even know I had a sister. Teeny told Ana." Rosaline nodded. 

"You wish you could tell people, don't you?" Jack didn't say anything, "If circumstances were different, but you know they never will be, and you can't escape the nagging thought at the back of your mind that makes you wonder, if she'd want people to know." 

"Luv, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I don't have thoughts like that." Jack said, confidently, but Rosaline was having none of it. 

"You do." She informed him. "It's all falling into place. The looks, the quiet words, the gestures. I mistook it all for… but you regret not being there for her when she grew up. Even though you know there was no way you could have been, you're her brother, and you should have been." Jack was silent. Rosaline had hit the nail on the head, and the thoughts she had just voiced had been pushing to get out of his own mind for years. 

"I thought Savannah was supposed to be the mind reader," He joked. Rosaline cocked her head to one side, and rested her arm on her knee. 

"Why do you always have to turn everything into a joke?" 

"Because then I don't have to talk about anything." Jack said, raising his voice unintentionally, and glancing behind him. Rosaline was shocked by this outburst, and some how she knew that it wasn't something he did regularly. His eyes avoided hers, and his body was turned away from her. 

"Maybe you should," She said, quietly, resting her hand lightly on his arm. He flinched, and looked set to pull it away, but he didn't. His eyes kept flicking toward his crew, and Rosaline got the impression that he was not going to open up in full view of them. She stood up, and Jack's gaze travelled up to her eyes, 

"What are y' doin' luv?" He asked her, confused. Rosaline held out her hand to him. Jack eyes rested on it, 

"Let's go outside." She said, "Away from everything, and every one." 

Jack knew that this was his chance. He could ignore Rosaline's gesture and go back to the rest of the group. He would have. And maybe he should have. But he also knew that if he didn't take her hand this time, it might never be there for him again. 

Jack tapped his fingers on his knee, and made a decision. He took Rosaline's hand, and she held his firmly. Jack pushed himself up, knowing that she wasn't exactly going to be able to pull him to his feet. They stood face to face for a few seconds, eye to eye. Their fingers were still intertwined. 

Bill nudged Marti, and nodded in the couple's direction. 

"Could it be Jack's found himself a girl?" Marti spun round and raised her eyebrows,

"Looks like it, to be sure." She said, "She's English, and she's a _Lady_. I don't know what he's thinking." Bill rolled his eyes, 

"Marti, open your eyes and take a look," He urged her, "Look at that. Have you ever seen Jack like that before? It don't matter what she is, but maybe _who _she is matters a great deal." 

"You think she might be the one for him?" 

"Well, I've been out of the loop for a while, so t' speak." Bill joked, "But somethin' about the look on Jack's face tells me she's different to the others." 

"She's not a whore. That might be it." Marti muttered. Bill laughed, 

"Not getting protective are ye?" He teased. Marti shook her head defiantly. 

"Would I?" She asked innocently, 

"What are you two whispering about?" Will asked, 

"Jack and Rosaline." Marti answered openly. Will followed their gaze, and Elizabeth smacked his arm, and addressed all three of them, 

"Stop staring and give them some privacy." She ordered, "For goodness sake, nothing's going to happen if you three stay gawping at them."

The three sheepishly looked away. 

"Ye had to marry a woman with a big mouth, didn't y' son?" Bill sighed, "Couldn't pick a quiet one." 


	41. 40

Rosaline and Jack walked in the moonlight in silence for a while, being cautious not to get too close to the edge of the woods. Eventually they ended up leant against the rocky side of the mountain. Jack felt awkward, and had a sinking sense of foreboding that he wasn't going to be able to get out of this. Rosaline stared at him intently, but his eyes did not return the favour. 

"I was right, wasn't I?" She said, quietly, even though there was no one there to hear them anymore. 

"Aye." Jack muttered. 

"I don't think you should make a joke of your problems Jack. I don't think you should always have to hide, to put on an act." She paused, "And I don't think you have to any more." 

"Is that right?"

"You aren't making this very easy for me." Rosaline admitted. 

"It's not something I tend to make a habit of luv." 

"And having deep and meaningfuls with pirates isn't in my general routine. But things change." Rosaline's hand rested on his knee. It was like the roles had been reversed. Jack was the one who didn't want to talk, and Rosaline was the one who just wanted to understand why he was feeling this way. 

"You really don't want to get involved here." Jack told her seriously, "I'm the ideal bloke for an impulsive fling, based entirely on lust. I'm not the relationship type, savvy?" Rosaline raised her eyebrow, 

"Neither am I." She whispered. "How's that worked for you so far?" Jack didn't say anything, and the two of the sat in silence for a while longer. 

"Do you want to know something?" Jack asked her, breaking the silence, 

"You're going to tell me anyway." 

"This voyage has been one of the most difficult of me entire career."

"Because of me?"

"It has something to do with you." Jack admitted, "On one hand, you've been a distraction, a nuisance and a general pain in the neck," Rosaline gave him a look that told him to get on with 'the other hand' part, "But," Jack obliged, "I don't think I would have made it this far without you. And I don't mean when I got shot." Rosaline felt her heart melt. _Oh god, I can't help it, I'm going to be in love with this man by the end of this conversation. _

"Thank you." She whispered. She didn't know what else to say. She felt more important than the other women, she wasn't jealous because she knew for a fact that Jack was choosing to tell her this instead of speaking to anyone else. 

Jack looked up at her, deep into her eyes. Rosaline could no longer see the mask Jack had thrown up in front of himself. All she could see in his eyes genuine truth. And she believed it. For once. Jack reached out his hand, and swept a stray lock of hair out of her face. Rosaline held out her own hand, and wrapped it round the back of his neck. 

Jack leant into her, and they held each other tightly, knowing for the first time that all they wanted to do at that moment was hold each other forever. 

"I'm sorry I didn't trust you, I didn't believe you," Rosaline whispered, "I was so _stupidly _jealous of what turned out to be nothing." 

"It's actually not such a bad thing to hear," Jack said back, "But I do have women practically falling at me feet, y' should be jealous luv." 

Rosaline laughed. She knew Jack was trying to lighten the mood, but they needed to sort through everything. If he put up his screen again, and laughed everything off, Rosaline would still not know what she needed to know, and Jack wouldn't have shared what he needed to share. 

Rosaline rubbed her hand over his back, and stroked his hair with her other hand. 

"Do you want to talk about Marti?"

"Not really." 

"But you know that if you do…" Rosaline left the statement open, hoping against hope that Jack would take the bait. 

"If I do, I know you'll be here to listen." Jack pulled away slightly, so they were facing each other, still close enough to be able to feel each other's breath on their faces. 

"I always will be." She told him. Jack frowned, 

"Always?" 

"If that's what you want." Rosaline was suddenly hit by the thought that what she wanted might not be the same for him. Jack looked down, and then back at her, his eyes searching in hers for some hint that what he was about to say was the right thing. 

"I… I don't like this…" He indicated their situation, and Rosaline knew he meant the awkward conversation, "But for some reason… this is what I want." 

"This is what you _need_." Rosaline said, tears pricking her eyes, "You can't spend your life keeping your thoughts locked away like this. Look at Savannah. That's what she did, isn't it? She didn't talk about her husband's death, and look at what she's been driven to." Jack nodded, "What is it Jack? What have you been hiding all these years? What have you never been able to talk about?" 

"Betrayal, right? That was the thing you felt when you found out about Clay's bloody wager." Rosaline nodded. "That's the story of my bloody life. Never seem to learn though, never saw it coming. Every time it happened."

"Barbosa." Rosaline offered, 

"Him," Jack agreed, but Rosaline got the feeling there was more to it. 

"Who else?" 

"Me crew." Jack pointed out, "Turned on me just like that." 

"That's not it." 

"It is."

"No it's not."

"Well it's all I'm going to say." 

"Jack,"

"What?"

"Tell me what it is. Please." Jack sighed. This woman was as stubborn as he was. 

"Fine. If y' really want to know, and it'll completely change yer opinion of me, and I might have to kill y' to stop y' telling any one else." 

"Shut up and tell me." 

"I told y' that the last time I cried I were only a boy. I was nine years old, and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Me mother left a note on the table, sayin' she'd run off with some bloke. That was it. No goodbye, no this is where I'm going. No nothing."

"Oh Jack…" Rosaline didn't know what to say. She had a mother and a father, who had always been happily married, as long as she could remember. 

"Maybe it wouldn' have been so bad if she hadn' promised not to. No matter how bad things got with 'er and me old man, she would _never _leave." Jack's voice shook, and Rosaline pulled him close to her and wrapped her arms around him so tightly she thought she would never be able to let go. 

"You almost put a black mark on me record," Jack muttered his voice muffled in her hair, 

"Why?"

"I haven't shed one pathetic tear even in me own cabin, for all the years I've been at sea. But when I thought I'd lost you… I thought you'd hate me…"

"I did hate you." Rosaline said, "or rather, I hated the idea that you'd lied to me. But I can see now. I can see what my heart has been yelling at me for the last few days,"

"What as that?"

"That I don't hate you."

"I'd hoped that you didn't by now, actually,"

"My feelings since then have become quite the opposite." Jack's eyes narrowed, and he regarded her closely, 

"What are you saying luv?"

"That's what I'm saying." Rosaline said, letting out a nervous giggle, "I've gone and done the one thing I never thought I would do. I've fallen in love with a pirate." Jack spluttered and coughed, 

"What?"

"You heard me." Jack's eyes scanned their surrounding, his mind trying to process this unexpected information. 

"Bloody hell," Jack let out a low whistle,

"What?"

"I just realised something." 

"What?"

"I've never told any one what I just told you. Not even Ana, and I tell her everything. And I…" Jack searched for the words, "I…" Rosaline grabbed his shoulders and kissed him. 

Jack hadn't been expecting this at all, but wasn't complaining. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leant backward so they ended up laid in the grass. Rosaline pulled away after quite a while, and Jack stared breathlessly into her eyes. 

"I love you." He whispered. Rosaline looked down at him, 

"I love you too." 

"I can see right up yer nose." Jack grinned. Rosaline smacked his chest but Jack dragged her back down before she could retaliate.             

BrendaC, dude, I'm so glad you like the story, and I'm really sorry for leaving you hanging there like that! I've not been able to connect to the internet for days, something wrong with my modem or something! Keep reading! I promise there'll be another chapter up tomorrow as well, if I have to buy a new computer to get it there!

Love you all, 

Savvy Z!             


	42. 41

Savannah walked silently along the beach near to where the Black Pearl was anchored. Her feet felt heavy, for the first time in years, and she felt tired. Exhausted. She was never exhausted, she could always keep going. She was strong, she was a survivor. 

    Right now, she didn't feel particularly strong, she didn't feel like a survivor. She felt alone, she felt lost, and above all she felt the sense of realisation that she was a mutineer. 

    She had turned on the people who had grown to trust her with their lives. She had betrayed what was almost her crew. That was mutiny. She had never committed mutiny, and she had been so driven my revenge that she had completely ignored her morals, her better instincts, and the code. 

    It wasn't fair. Will had his father back, Marti had her friend back, Jack had his quartermaster, and what did she have? An enemy. And now it seemed that he wasn't even responsible for Joseph's death. 

    It wasn't fair. Elena would never have her father back, and she, Savannah would never have her Joseph back. 

    Damn Jack for killing Barbosa! She would never get the chance to avenge her husband's death. But did that matter? As long as the bastard was dead. 

    The truth was, Savannah did care, because revenge had been pretty much her driving force for the last decade. Now, what did she have? Nothing. Just the responsibility of caring for a daughter, who she had so far taught to be like her because she thought it had been the right thing to do. Now what if Elena did something like this one day? It would be her fault. 

    But Savannah had survived so far. She had never been caught, never been named. At least Elena would have the freedom she had. 

    Savannah had seen her grandfather die, when she was only four years old. He had been in pain, he had been alone. And there had been nothing she could do. Her parents weren't there. Her parents had been too bust sealing their own fates, just like her grandfather. 

    When the news came to her about her father's death, and he mother's strange disappearance, she hadn't cried. She hadn't even been shock. In fact, she had been thankful that her father had been killed in battle, like he would have wanted, instead of the same way as his father. Her mother had been found several months later. She was dead. The idiot had killed herself. 

    At the age of seven, Savannah began to create alias's, fantastic characters who she could pretend to be, and then they could disappear without a trace. She had travelled to every country in Europe, to every island in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, India, all of Asia, she had been everywhere. She had learned everything she needed to know. 

    Savannah had never had her parents there. She had never been able to talk to them, never had a relationship with them. Now she realised just how much her life had been messed up. Sure she had a good deal in life. She could do whatever she wanted, go wherever she pleased. But when it got down to it, she was alone. She had no one to help her when she was in trouble. This crew she was with now. Even if they forgave her, if they understood, she would be alone. She would leave, she didn't want their help. The only person she wanted, the only person she needed was Joseph. 

    She was not going to make the mistake her parents had. Sure, she had provided for Elena, given her the opportunity to have an amazing life. But had she ever been there for her? The answer was plain and simple. No. Well that was going to change. 

    "Savannah?" Ana Maria stepped out from the edge of the forest, her pistol in her hand and a relieved expression on her face now knowing she had managed to make it through the forest. 

    "Ana," Savannah nodded in acknowledgement.

    "No one hates you," Ana said, sliding her pistol into it's strap, "I mean, Bill's maybe a bit resentful about nearly being shot, but I've spoken to them. They understand." 

    "They pity." Savannah informed her, "And so do you. I neither deserve, nor desire your pity."

    "Then what do you desire?"

    "What I desire is safe passage to an inhabited island, and what I deserve is to be left here." 

    "What you desire seems to be the most likely course of action. I hardly see Jack leaving you here. What are you going to do now?" Savannah shrugged, and Ana could sense a definite change in her. She was not acting like Savannah. Ana could see what she was thinking, what she was feeling. She never could before. 

    "Stay out of the way." 

    "And what will that achieve?" 

    "Me not killing any one?" Ana looked at her, sceptically, 

    "Very mature." She said, "By the way, Jack wanted to come and talk to you, but I wouldn't let him."

    "He should be with Rosaline," Savannah revealed, "She is insanely jealous of the other women on this voyage, that's what she saw when we were attacked." Ana nodded, 

    "Jack's with her now." She paused, "Savannah, you have some way of knowing things like this…"

    "I may have been known in the past to have a good judgement." 

    "Does he love her?" 

    "Yes." Ana whistled, 

    "Did not expect that one." Savannah sighed, 

    "Neither did Jack." 

    The crew of the Black Pearl reached the Jolly Boats, their arms laden with gold, silver and jewels. Several were dragging chest's full of coins behind them. They had looted the cave and taken the most useful of the treasure. The jewels, and statues and weapons were more use to them than a lot of the money, some of which was so old that it wouldn't even be accepted in Tortuga anymore. Ana and Savannah were still stood talking. Will, Elizabeth, Marti and Bill were at the front of the group, and Savannah was met with general avoidance of eye contact. Jack pushed his was through to the front, 

    "All hands back to the Pearl!" He yelled, not looking at Savannah. The crew silently clambered into the boats. Savannah was left in one with Jack, Rosaline and Ana. 

    The entire crew rowed back in silence. Savannah kept her eyes fixed on the ship, right until they got to it. When they were inboard, she quietly slipped to her cabin, where she locked the door, laid down on her bed, and actually shed a tear, for the second time in her entire life. 

Okay, MBM, I officially love you and hate the internet! It's been down all week, but you, my faithful every chapter reviewer brightened my day when I was finally able to read your review. If it breaks down again I am going to upload the entire rest of the story in one go and be done with it! 

Went to see love actually, was tres good! Watch it. 

Love y'all

Savvy Z


	43. 42

"Jack," Bill stopped the captain as the crew dispersed. Jack stopped and spun around, to face his friend, 

    "Aye,"

    "D'y still need a quarter master?" Jack grinned, 

    "Technically no." He said, "But what's ever been technical about this ship?" Bill grinned back, 

    "Then ye may take that as confirmation that Bootstrap Bill be home," 

    "I'll take it as conformation that William Turner be home." Jack said, offering his hand, which Bill shook, "As me only faithful crewman when Barbosa decided to mutiny, ye be a valued member of the new and improved crew." 

    "And it looks like this valued crewman is cutting in on somethin' y' don't want t' be missin' out on." Jack looked over his shoulder at Rosaline. Bill nodded in her direction, "Y' found yerself a woman?"

    "Apparently," Jack agreed, his voice, and expression showing he shared the same disbelief as Bill, 

    "Never thought I'd see the day." 

    "_You _never thought y'd see the day?" Jack muttered sarcastically. He sighed, "Me life was plain and simple up till now Bill, and now… it's become excruciatingly more complicated." 

    "That's women for you," Bill said, Ana Maria approached the two and nodded to Bill, 

    "Captain, Gibbs is ready to set sail, it would help if we had a bearing." She encouraged Jack, who shook himself from his thoughts.

    "A bearing? Right, back to Tortuga. I think the crew's going t' want some well earned spending time. Make sure every one gets an equal share. That includes Savannah, and Rosaline, whether she'll want it I don't know." Ana paused before carrying out her Captain's orders, 

    "Captain, what's going to happen about Rosaline?" She asked, cautiously, not wanting to provoke Jack, or cause him to think about something he hadn't yet. Fortunately for her, the question of what was going to happen between himself and Rosaline in the future was one that had indeed been playing on his mind. 

    "It's complicated." He confided in her, "There are so many questions regardin' that subject at the moment that I can't begin to make sense of it. "Me life, no matter how hard I try, will never be the same. There's the question of her family, of her lifestyle, of mine, of what decisions she will make, and…"

    "And maybe when she's back with her own kind of people, with her own family and class of friends, maybe she won't feel the same way?" Ana received no answer, and did actually begin to question whether or not she had just voiced a point Jack hadn't wanted to mention, or that she had just added one to his train of thought that he had not yet thought of, and made the situation worse. "You worry too much about life's little complications, and they become larger ones," she pointed out, "Have you ever stopped to think that maybe this woman, while being a complication, may be a blessing in disguise?" 

    "I have no doubt that she's a blessing," Jack said quickly, "I'm not ashamed to admit that, but blessings can also come along with baggage, with ties that need to be severed, and with that come repercussions." Ana nodded, 

    "You'll make the right decision." She told him, "Because you're smart. You always come up with a plan to get yerself out of any situation, and this is no different." With this parting comment she went to relay the captain's orders to the rest of the crew. Leaving Jack alone on deck. 

    His eyes searched for Rosaline, who seemed to have disappeared with the rest of the crew, and stood still for a moment before heading to his cabin. 

    "This is how it should be." Marti said, grinning, "We're rich, we're free, and we're alive. I'm going to spend so much money when we get back on land." Ana smiled at her friend's glee. She had not seen her this genuinely happy for a long time. 

    "Are you staying onboard the Pearl?" She asked her. Marti shrugged, before changing her answer to a nod. 

    "May as well. Good reputation, good crew, good ship. All in all, I'd be a fool to pass it up." 

    "I'm going to." 

    "What?" Ana sighed and glanced at her share of the treasure. 

    "This, added to what I've… collected… since I joined this crew, is more than enough to buy a boat, or even a small ship of my own." 

    "You're leaving?" Marti was shocked. She hadn't been expecting this at all, "Who's going to be first mate? Who's going to help me gang up on Clay?" Ana smiled, knowing Marti was just skipping around the subject of Ana leaving her on her own on a ship full of men. 

    "I think you can handle Clay," She said, a knowing smile appearing on her lips, "And Jack's got plenty of people to be his first mate. There's you," Marti scoffed, "there's Gibbs, there's Bill, or if they decide to stay, there's Will Turner," Marti shrugged, 

    "It's not going to be the same," She moaned, "And Jack needs you." 

    "Jack has Rosaline." Ana said, without any remorse, or any hostility. She was merely stating a fact. "Jack confided in me, I'll admit. But I don't know everything, as everyone seems so eager to believe. Rosaline will be there for him, will provide him with plenty of problems to keep him occupied, but I know Jack. This is what he needs. Not a friend, like me, but some one to stand by him, some one who loves him. Like Rosaline." 

    "Love? This is about Love? Are you sure it's not just Jack being… well, Jack?" Marti asked sceptically, raising an eyebrow, 

    "Rosaline is in love with Jack." Ana told Marti, "And Jack is in love with Rosaline. Whatever happens, I think they will be good for each other. In the long run." Marti shook her head in disbelief, 

    "I can't believe Jack is in love." She sighed, "It doesn't seem like the type of thing he'd do." 

    "I don't think he was expecting it," Ana admitted, "And I don't think he's too happy about it. But it's something he's goin' t' have t' get used to." 

    Rosaline laid in Jack's arms, her eyes closed, but her mind very much awake. She hadn't known exactly what was going to happen when they returned to the Pearl, and that question that had been pestering Jack's mind had began to infiltrate hers. 

    She didn't exactly know what to say, but when she had reached Jack's cabin, she had been greeted in a way which hadn't required many words. 

    Jack's eyes were not closed. His right arm was wrapped around Rosaline's shoulders his left was draped across her stomach. He was watching her, laying there so peacefully. He knew perfectly well that they needed to discuss what was going to happen next, but he didn't want to be the one to spoil the moment. 

    His hand tickled her ribcage and her eyes slowly flickered open. She looked up and found herself met by his eyes. 

    "Hello." She murmured. She was having that feeling you get when you want to be happy, because in the present moment everything is perfect, but you have that nagging little feeling in your mind that keeps telling you there's a problem. 

    "Good morning," Jack said, his grin showing his gold teeth, "or rather, afternoon." Rosaline smiled, 

    "Is it really that late?" 

    "I'm not sure." Jack admitted, "I can't really be bothered to justify that at this particular moment." The nagging feeling in the back of Rosaline's mind had grown stronger, 

    "Is there any possible way we can stop time, and just stay in this moment forever?" She asked him, hopefully, 

    "Not likely," Jack knew exactly what she meant, "We could try, but I think eventually even this moment will become corrupted by the jaws of fate." Rosaline frowned, 

    "Have you been drinking?" 

    "No more than normal luv,"

    "Then do you always put complex metaphors into every day conversation?" Now it was Jack's turn to be confused. 

    "Yes?" Rosaline giggled, and Jack grinned at her. He might not have had any clue what it was she had been talking about, but he had made her laugh, so it must have been something good. 

    Jack would never admit it, but he was extremely anxious about the increasingly warm and fuzzy feeling he kept getting every time Rosaline smiled. His anxiousness turned to determination, when he mentally forced himself to discuss the matter at hand. He wanted her to smile forever, but he knew that there would be an end to it, and indeed to their time together if they did nothing about the major problem looming over them. 

    "I hate to be the one to bring it up," Jack started, "But you an' I both know there's somethin' we need to discuss." Rosaline's smile turned grim, 

    "I know," She said, "I was hoping that it would just go away."

    "Savannah has proven that ignoring your problems doesn't make them disappear," Jack pointed out, "And I am not endin' up as screwed up as her. Neither are you. We're goin' t' sort this out." Rosaline sighed, 

    "I don't know what to do." She avoided his eyes. Neither of them were mentioning England, or Tortuga, or anywhere for that matter. Jack looked out the window at the sea, and sat up, his arm leaving it's comfortable place around her shoulders. 

    "This ship is bound for Tortuga." He said, "And that's where I intend to take it. The crew needs a rest, and they need some time… after everythin' that's happened." Rosaline nodded, 

    "My mother and father must think I'm dead," She said, following Jack's example and sitting up, 

    "Then why change that?" Jack insisted, turning to her, "They think you died at sea, you can stay with me." 

    "It's not as simple as that Jack," Rosaline couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes as she spoke, "I can't just give up my life. Would you?" Jack was about to answer, but closed his mouth abruptly. He suddenly realised exactly what it was he was trying to do. Uproot Rosaline from her home, from her family and friends, from her _life_. If she asked him to leave the Pearl for her… to live on land, to live like she did… Jack shuddered. He could never do anything like that, no matter how hard he wanted it. 

    "You and I both know that the moment I set foot in England, I'd be sent straight to the gallows." He argued, "Even if I could…" 

    "I couldn't ask you to leave this." Rosaline told him, "To leave your friends, your family, your ship. This is your life. I know how much a captain's ship means to him Jack." Jack knew deep in his heart that Rosaline meant more to him than the Black Pearl. He loved her, he wanted to keep her. 

    Declaring his love to her was not that hard. It was the truth, and he had felt no regret from speaking those three words. But he was Captain Jack Sparrow, of the Black Pearl. He was a pirate, and his reputation made him who he was. Without all that, he wasn't himself, and if he wasn't himself, the words Jack Sparrow had spoken to Rosaline Jones would have meant nothing. 

    Jack sighed. 

    "Are you going to ask me to leave England?" Rosaline pushed, "To leave my home and live on a ship?" Jack shrugged, 

    "You can leave your home just as much as I can leave the Pearl." He said, knowing now that this conversation was not going to end well. 

    "Then what can we do?" 

    "There's nothing' we can do." Jack was resigned. He held Rosaline's face in his hand and wiped away the tear that trickled down her cheek. "If you want to go to England, to go home, then you shall go home." 

    "And you?" 

    "And I will take you there." Rosaline couldn't help the tears that had begun to flow from her brown eyes,    

    "I don't want to loose you," She whispered, "Not after everything…" 

    "I'm not leapin' for joy either Roz," Jack said, his voice was gravelly, and his words sounded harsh, if not for the true emotions expressed by his dark eyes, "If things were different…"

    "But they aren't." 

         "I know." The couple sat lost within each other's eyes for a while, knowing that the longer they stayed close, the harder it would be to accept that it had to end, but neither had the strength to turn away.


	44. 43

"What are you talking about? Where has this come from?" Will was staring at his wife, dumbfounded. He was amazed that she could still completely take him by surprise. 

    "It's been in my mind since we reached Tortuga to tell you the truth," Elizabeth admitted, "But I thought we shouldn't discuss it, until… well, in case things didn't work out this way, or in case you ended up desperate to return to Port Royale."

    "But leaving everything?" Will questioned, "What about your father?" 

    "When I married you I knew you had pirate blood in your veins. I knew that deep inside that was who you are. I made my choice in life, and it was you Will. Not the Smithy, not Port Royale, but you." Will scratched the back of his head, an amazed grin on his face, 

    "You are incredible," He sighed, 

    "Would you have married me otherwise?" 

    "You're sure about this?" 

    "I have never been more sure about anything in my life." Elizabeth assured him. "This is my life now Will. How can I go back to Port Royale after such an amazing adventure. After meeting such amazing people?" 

    "By having the sense to stay safe?" Will offered, "By not making enemies like Savannah Flint?" 

    "By sitting in a house my whole life. I can be myself here, and so can you. We don't have to worry about other people's opinions of us, of our lives, or our friends." Will grinned, 

    "You're going to turn pirate." He accused, "the daughter of a Governor as well." 

    "I'm the wife of a pirate." She objected, "How could you expect anything less?" Will shook his head and kissed his wife, knowing that for once in his life, everything made sense. He knew where he was, he knew who he was, and he had the one thing he had wanted his whole life. A home, friends and a family, all in the same place. Elizabeth pulled away briefly, 

    "That," She said, "And I like wearing trousers." 

    That night, Jack lay wide awake in his cabin, fully aware that Rosaline was probably doing the same in the cabin directly below him. 

    He lay lost in his thoughts for a long while, subconsciously listening to the sounds of his ship. Then suddenly, his subconscious alerted him to a sound that was not normally there this time of night. The sound of a jolly boat splashing down onto the water's surface. He sat up quickly, and stuck his head out of his window, but he couldn't see anything. He headed out on deck immediately, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. 

    They were anchored near to a group of Islands called the Leeward islands. Jack could just make them out in the distance. He stood out on deck and lowered his hand from his sword. 

    "I knew you would have heard that." Savannah stood opposite him, close to where the jolly boat had splashed, 

    "Where're y' goin' Savannah?" Jack asked her, wistfully. Savannah pointed over her shoulder, 

    "See that over there? That's Barbuda. And just beyond it Antigua. Both export to Europe, and have ships importing goods _from _Europe." 

    "But where are y' goin'?" 

    "To see my daughter." Savannah told him, this time there were no lies, no deception, not even a hint of secrecy. "and I tell you now, I will not say where. It's something I should have done long ago." Jack sighed, 

    "Ye know perfectly well I would have dropped y' there meself." He said, "Y' didn't have t' try and disappear without any one knowing again. People do care about you Flint, even though you might think they don't." Savannah hauled a bag over board and heard a satisfying bang as it hit the deck of her little boat. 

    "I know they do." She said, leaning on the rails, and pulling her brown leather coat around her bare shoulders. "I have betrayed this crew, and I am leaving. I have no doubt I will repay the debt one day, but I cannot, and will not be on the same ship as William Turner." 

    "Rosaline's goin' back t' England." Jack said quietly. Savannah gasped, 

    "Did you fight?" 

    "No." Jack shrugged, "Though it would have been easier if we had. Our lives are to different." 

    "That's bullshit." Savannah said bluntly. "You are both foolish." 

    "Maybe." Jack admitted, "But some people would say that blindly rowing off to Antigua was foolish." Savannah had loaded her boat, and turned to Jack. 

    "Jack Sparrow." She said, seriously, "You are what I would consider a friend to me. But a friend to me, is not what it seems to be to every one else. I follow the code too closely, I know. I play my cards so close to my chest that I become blind to them myself. I love Joseph, and I love Elena. That is the only love I know. Unlike you, who love your friends, and your ship, I have never known that. Despite the way I look at humanity; inferior, a waste of time and space, too emotional for their own good, I have forgotten one very important thing. I am human. I am only human, and I can actually make mistakes. I can feel pain, I can feel remorse, and though I spend most of my time hiding it, I'm really just as emotional as the rest. I need to pull myself together Jack, so I can love you as a friend, and treat you the way you deserve. I am leaving for Europe." 

    "Any idea when you'll pop up again?" Jack asked, knowing the answer. Savannah smiled, 

    "None at all." She admitted, "I think the time has come for Elena to get her sea legs. Travel somewhere other than another school." 

    "You could always introduce her to the delights of Tortuga," Jack suggested. Savannah seemed to almost choke on thin air, 

    "My daughter is not setting _foot _in Tortuga even a day before she reaches fifteen." Savannah stated hurriedly, "She's ten years old, not twenty." 

    "But she is _your _daughter." Jack teased. Savannah did not smile, 

    "Captain Sparrow, I'd hate to leave on bad terms," She warned, but even in the dim light of the moon, Jack could see her sarcastic expression. 

    "Then leave on good ones, if y' have t' go." He offered her his hand. Savannah took it and shook it firmly. Then she leant in and kissed his cheek. Jack still held her hand when she pulled away. "Take care of yerself," He said, "An' that lass o' yours. She'll make a fine pirate one day." He let go of her hand and she nodded, and turned to the railing, swinging her leg over. She paused, and turned back to Jack, one foot still on deck, 

    "Jack… when it comes down to it… listen to Ana Maria." She swung the other leg over and landed lightly in the boat. Jack stuck his head over the side, 

    "You cryptic wench!" He yelled, still smiling, "I'll have you for this!" 

    "You can only dream Jack Sparrow, you can only dream." Savannah faded into the darkness of the ocean around the ship, and after a while, Jack could only hear the faint splash of her oars on the surface of the water as she rowed off into the distance. 

    Almost a week passed, and the weather did not hit one bad patch. The wind kept up, and the Pearl made excellent time on it's way to England. 

    Every one had noticed Savannah's disappearance, and when Jack told them she'd left, they all were expecting the news. Bill had said nothing, but Jack knew he was relieved that she was gone. 

    None on board said anything remotely negative about Savannah after that, but there wasn't a man aboard who wished she was still there. 

    Will and his father had made up for lost time over the years since they had last seen each other. Bill told his son every last detail of his adventures on the Pearl, good and bad. Elizabeth too, had gotten to know her father in law, and found him just as charming as her husband, although perhaps a little bit rougher around the edges. 

    In fact, the only two people who had not been enjoying the last week onboard had been Rosaline, and the Captain himself. They hadn't avoided each other, hadn't argued. They had only spent time in each other's company, savouring their time together. 

    Although the wager no longer held fast, Jack had not won it. He and Rosaline were very close, and had spent a great deal of time with each other, but they had not slept together, except in the literal sense. Jack knew of Rosaline's experience in that particular area, and although it was what he wanted, and probably what she wanted too, he had not wanted to spoil their last few days together by stirring bad memories. 

    One day, after the crew had eaten breakfast, Jack had called Rosaline out on deck. She had joined him, not knowing what it was about, but as soon as she could see the horizon, her heart sank. England. 

    "We're going to be there by noon," Jack said quietly, leant on the railing. Rosaline put out her hand to steady herself, and Jack grabbed it. "This is it luv." 


	45. 44

"Is everything ready?" Jack asked Gibbs, "The instant the bloody navy spots us, we'd better already be on out way." Gibbs nodded, 

     "Aye Cap'n," He said, grimly, "Everythin's packed for Miss Rosaline's return, and the canon's are primed just in case." Jack gave a sharp nod and returned above deck, where Ana was currently giving Rosaline a friendly hug goodbye. 

     "Stay in touch," She begged, "Some how. I'll come to England as soon as I get me own ship, and I promise t' try and pilfer close enough to yer home to visit." Rosaline laughed, 

     "Can't wait." She said, sarcastically. Rosaline looked up at Jack and stopped smiling. He tried to look brighter than he felt, and he had prepared for the moment by imbibing vast amounts of rum. Rosaline stepped up to him. 

     "I suppose this is it then." She said, quietly, "I'm going back to England." 

     "Yer goin' home luv." Jack's words were slurred, but he was feeling the effects of the situation as if he was sober. 

     "No I'm not." She whispered, determined not to cry. "I'll miss you, Captain Sparrow." 

     "Not half as much as I'll miss you Miss Jones." Jack said, in a low voice. Rosaline grabbed his coat and pulled him close to her. Their lips met, but the kiss was unlike any they had shared before. Each party savouring every second, knowing it was their last. Finally, Jack pulled away, and held onto her shoulders firmly for a moment, 

     "Jack, they've spotted us!" Marti yelled down from the crows nest. Jack's face changed, and his eyes left Rosaline's. 

     "Mister Clay, help Miss Jones to the jolly boat, Bill, Cotton, lower the bloody thing carefully for once." The crew did as they were told, and Jack's eyes landed on the two navy ships headed in their direction, "Get a move on!" He yelled, "Lift the anchor!" The ship began to move, leaving Rosaline's boat in the path of the on coming navy vessels. 

     The crew did not look back, and Jack kept his eyes fixed on the horizon. 

     Every one on board was silent, until the ships had faded into the fog, and Rosaline was no more than a speck. Jack stood at the helm, and no one wanted to ask what their orders were to be. Finally, Marti plucked up the courage, 

     "Jack… what now?" Jack let go of the helm, letting her take it. 

     "Tortuga." He said, gruffly, "You know the bloody way." Ana stepped back as her Captain barged past her, slamming the door to his cabin as he went. 

     Jack had to walk past every crew man on his way to his door, and every one of them saw something they never thought they'd see on their Captain. 

     Ana was still for a moment, but the spun round and followed Jack into his cabin. 

     "You're being an idiot." She told him, sharply, as he sat down on this chair, hard. "Can't you see what this is doing to you? You're Captain Jack Sparrow, and this woman, this English woman, had reduced you to this. You are making the biggest mistake of your life Jack. If loosing her is enough to reduce you to tears, then you can still get her back, because for a love as strong as that, there is always hope."

     "I can't make her leave her home." Jack protested, "You know I can't Ana," 

     "This _is _her home." Ana insisted, "She said so. Look at Will and Elizabeth. Liz is happy living out here because Will is. Not because it's where she's from, or that it's what she's always wanted, but because she loves him. Go back Jack. We don't care about bein' late for Tortuga."

     "Enough," Jack insisted, "Rosaline is not Elizabeth. She is not, and never has been, fascinated by pirates, she is repulsed by them. It's too complicated to work out." Ana frowned, and proceeded to glare at him, 

     "You're unbelievable," She accused, "You're throwing everything away." She left his cabin, slamming the door on her way out. 

     Jack's eyes shut in time with the slam of the door, and he felt himself not wanting to open them. 

     "Well?" Will stopped Ana, who was fuming. She threw up her hands in despair,

     "The idiot!" She said, exasperated, "He won't even try! I'm not crazy am I Will? He is being stupid?" 

     "He is." Marti agreed, joining them. "And he probably won't back down now, him bein' so bloody stubborn." Ana nodded, still enraged. "Ana, you can't leave us with a moody captain, you have to stay!" 

     "Why don't you just come with me?" Ana suggested, knowing perfectly well that Marti wouldn't leave Jack. Not when she knew that he was so upset. 

     "Leave the Pearl?" 

     "You only just got here, it's not like you've got a personal attachment to the ship." Ana argued, amused at the look on Marti's face. "We're goin' t' Tortuga." Ana sighed, "If Jack wants to be miserable, it's his own business." Marti reluctantly agreed. 


	46. 45

Rosaline had finally gotten home. She was back in England, with her mother, and her father, who had been overjoyed that she was safe. Rosaline had spun some half hearted story about being rescued by a passing trade ship, and getting dropped off near to the bay. As for the navy being positive they had seen the Black Pearl, Rosaline had laughed it off and given a speech about how she wouldn't be caught dead on a pirate ship. Her parents were too blinded by her safe return to notice anything was wrong, but unfortunately for her, Rosaline's friend Emily caught on straight away. As soon as her parents had stopped fawning over her, Rosaline felt herself pulled aside by her friend. 

     Emily was much taller than Rosaline, slim, blond, and quite attractive. She was engaged to a young man named Thomas Thornton, who was an officer in the navy. The day they announced their engagement, many of the local officer's hearts were broken. Emily had always tried to set Rosaline up with Thomas's friends, but Rosaline had never been interested. 

     "Where on Earth have you been Rosie?" She asked her, quietly, "Because I believe your mind may still be there." Rosaline turned away, 

     "My mind is here Emmy, but my heart…" 

     "You found a man?" Emily could hardly contain her excitement, "Oh no Rosie, a merchant? On that ship? What will your father say?" Rosaline giggled despite herself, 

     "No not a merchant." She assured her friend, "But I don't think that father would say anything positive about him anyway." Emily was intrigued, 

     "Oh Rosie, you must tell me," She begged. Rosaline looked at her worriedly, and Emily glanced at her friend's parents, "You know I won't breath a word," She swore, "I promise." 

     "It doesn't matter anyway," Rosaline lied, "It would never have worked between us, so we broke it off before too many problems arose." 

     "What?" Emily was shocked, "I know you Rosie. You always told me you didn't see the point in dating because you believed that your true love would be obvious when you found him. Why would you even get the slightest bit involved with any man who you didn't love?" 

     "I didn't say that." Rosaline said sharply, in a hushed voice. Her eyes suddenly looked strained, and weary. Emily was concerned for her friend. 

     "Come, get some air," She ushered her out onto the balcony, where Rosaline leant on the railings, and was met with a flash of memory, _We're going to be there by noon… this is it luv. _"Rosie, what is wrong with you?" Emily had never seen her friend over come with emotion, pain, or whatever it was, as she seemed to be now. Rosaline had stepped back from the balcony, and was blinking back tears. 

     "Emmy, you must promise that if I tell you… you must _swear _not to breathe a word…" 

     "I won't." Emily said, wondering for the life of her what could be the problem, "I promise." 

     "You were right." Rosaline admitted, "I found some one I care about, in fact, I care about him so much that I can't even imagine what life is going to be like without him." 

     "Then why on Earth did you come back?" Emily demanded, "Or at least, why not bring him too?" Rosaline sighed, and avoided her friends eyes. She gave a short, humourless laugh, 

     "Because the navy doesn't seem to take kindly to pirates showing up on their doorstep." 

     Emily did a double take. "Pirate? A PIRATE? Rosie, what's wrong with you? Are you MAD?" She shut the doors to the balcony, to make sure their conversation was not heard. "Pirates are disgusting, ill mannered, impolite common men, who take pleasure in other's misery. And you SWORE never to even speak to one!" 

     "Things change?" Rosaline offered hopefully, and was met by a glare so cold, it made Savannah's shrivel up and run away whimpering. "Okay, that wasn't the right thing to say. But how can I help who I fall in love with?" 

     "In LOVE?" This was all too much for Emily. Her friend had gone from being completely innocent and predictable, to being a disgrace to her family in less than a moment. "My god…" 

     "Oh Emily, stop staring like I'm a monkey in a zoo!" Rosaline snapped, her emotions getting back into control, "If it hadn't yet occurred to you, I really don't care what any one thinks. All that matters to me is that because of this, because of this place, my family and everything, I just lost the man I love." Emily was surprised by this outburst, but immediately felt guilty. It hadn't actually occurred to her, the pain Rosaline was feeling. Emily took her friend's hand. 

     "I'm so sorry Rosie," She said, quietly, "But it's for the best. You'd be throwing everything away…" Rosaline pulled her hand out of Emily's, and tucked it under her folded arms. She leant back on the rail and glared out to see in anger. 

     "You don't get it." She said, "No one would understand. Why is it, that I spent all that time on the Pearl thinking about how if only you were here, you'd know how I felt, you'd understand! Now I'm here, the only person I want is Jack. I don't care about this place, or these people. I care about you Emmy, you're my friend and I love you. But out there, it's different. They don't judge you for what you wear, or what your family status is, or anything like that. They judge you for who you are. You can make an enormous mistake, and hurt countless people, but you can be forgiven. The ocean is big. Much bigger than land. There's enough space for people to be themselves. The girls drink rum Emmy, and wear trousers, and _work hard_ on the ship. Now that I'm back here, everything out there makes so much more sense." 

     "You've flipped." Emily shook her head, "You'd give up your life here for this Jack? For drinking rum, and wearing trousers?" 

     "I would." Rosaline sighed, feeling the tears prickling her eyes, "If I'd only have known…" 

     Emily stepped away. She wanted to comfort her friend, if only her friend was who she had always been to her. Emily went back inside. "I'll tell everyone you're tired," she muttered, "You can go to your room if you like, I'll make your excuses." Rosaline listened, but didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon, on the sunset. 

     _Oh Jack, _she thought, _I'm such an idiot. My life here isn't worth anything without you with me. How can I go back to being Rosaline Meredith Jones, when I'll always be 'Roz' at heart? _

Jack sat in the exact same position as Ana had left him, his chair facing the door to his cabin. His eyes caught the movement of a piece of paper being slid under the door. He put down his bottle of rum, of which he had barely touched, and heaved himself up. He swayed forward, and stopped till he had gotten his footing, then crossed the room and picked up what turned out to be an envelope. 

     It wasn't labelled, but Jack guessed it would be for him, unless Clay had sent a love letter to the wrong cabin. Jack sat back down heavily, and tore it open. Her unfolded the neat sheet of paper, which was covered in small, slanted writing. 

_     Jack, _

_     I know you'll probably discard this letter as soon as you open it, but at least I can say I've tried. _

_     I must admit I don't know what you're going through, but I know it isn't good. The crew need you to be captain, Jack, not to mope in your cabin for the rest of your days. _

_     Rosaline loves you. When some one loves you, they don't just get over it. She can't be having the time of her life back home, just like you can't be yourself without her. She's a part of who you are now Jack, without her you're not our Captain. _

_     I'm leaving soon, and I want to be on your ship when you get it into your mind to listen to me for once. Go back to England. If you don't you'll always wonder what would have happened if you had. _

_     I have always looked up to you Jack, even though you're shorter than me, _

Jack frowned, and swore to get even with Ana at some point, 

     _And I've always admired the way you always know what to do, and I can tell when you make a decision or a plan that sounds absolute ludicrous, that it will work in the end because it's yours. But in this decision, I think you were wrong. There is no way this will work out unless you go back. _

_     I love you Jack, you know I do, but don't you dare use this letter as ammunition against me. I mean it purely in a friendship sense. And as your friend, I care about you, and as your first mate, which I still am until we reach Tortuga, I am advising you to rethink. In fact, to completely change your mind. _

_     Please go back for her Jack, so you can be the Captain this ship deserves.  _

_     Ana Maria. _    

     "Ana…" Jack stopped, and frowned. _When it comes down to it, listen to Ana Maria. _He stood up, sharply. He staggered across the cabin and flung open the door, "Turn this ship around!" He ordered, his eyes lighting up, "We're goin' t' England." Ana raised an eyebrow from her place at the helm.

     "Wow, I must be good." 

"You are Ana, you are." Jack said, hurriedly, "Now come on, we're getting my girl back." 

     "You couldn't have decided to listen to me when she was still on board, and not in the navy's custody?" Seeing the look on Jack's face, she quickly turned away, and cupped her hands to her mouth, "All hands, turn the ship about!" She yelled. The order was met by a cheer from the crew, and Jack stepped out on deck, 

     "Not all treasure is silver and gold, right Jack?" Will asked him, grinning. Jack pointed his finger in his young friends face, 

     "Think of your own metaphors lad," He said, grinning back, "That one be mine."


	47. 46

Rosaline was seated at the grand dining table in her parent's home. There was a feast prepared to celebrate her return. Her parents, Emily, Thomas, her aunt Penny, who lived with them, her father's cousin George, and herself. Most of the party were chatting away politely. Rosaline picked at her food, but didn't really feel at all hungry. Every time she picked up her fork she was hit with memories of dining on the Black Pearl, Clay's wonderfully prepared meals, the genuine conversation, the teasing, the flirting… she was beginning to think that she had actually made the biggest, stupidest mistake of the entire life. Or maybe the situation was so confusing, that if she'd have stayed on the Pearl, she would be having the same feelings about not coming home. 

     She found herself wondering what Savannah would be doing right at that moment. Rosaline had been fascinated, and a little overwhelmed by Savannah's life style. Going where she pleased, doing what she wanted, and she could do. She had marvelled at her swordsmanship, at her mind, and her general knowledge of seemingly everything. But she had realised that she and Savannah shared one aspect of their characters. They both hid who they really were. Savannah would be a different person every day, and the only time any of the crew had ever seen the real her was that moment of desperation when she had aimed her pistol. Rosaline could almost understand her, which was an incredible feat in itself, as not many people can do that. For her, being brave, putting on an act, was something she always did when she had to. But Savannah felt like she always had to. Rosaline realised that Savannah's whole life must be like the feeling she got herself, when she feared something dreadful, or she had to fight for her life. The fear, the horror when Jack had been shot, when she had been seemingly kidnapped by a crew of pirates, that must be how Savannah felt all the time. 

     There was just one problem, that Rosaline could see very clearly. Savannah had pretended for so long, and bottled her feelings for so long, that _they _had taken control. Rosaline didn't want to get like that. She didn't want to end up like Savannah. Solitary, independent, but alone. 

     "Rosie?" Her mother's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Rosie?" Rosaline shook herself and looked up, 

     "Yes? Sorry, I wasn't…" 

     "My dear, this dreadful experience must have shaken you terribly," Her mother looked sympathetic. Rosaline seized the opportunity, 

     "Yes, yes it has." She said, hurriedly, "And I'm really quite exhausted. I do hope it wouldn't be too inappropriate for me to excuse myself. I feel I need to rest." Rosaline's mother looked appalled and glared at her husband, 

     "I told you she would be tired," She scolded, "What did I say? I said she needs rest… all this attention… honestly…" 

     Rosaline slipped out of the room, and went hurriedly up the stairs to her room where she clicked the lock shut on her door. 

     It was dark outside, and she couldn't even see where the sky met the horizon. There were several boats in the dock, and she watched them for a while. Her mind wandered, and she began to imagine secretly breaking out of her house, running down to the docks and commandeering one of them, sailing of into the distance, finding Jack and living happily ever after. It was at this point that she actually shook her mind out of such thoughts. It wasn't the thought of stealing a ship, or running away that seemed implausible, it was the thought of Jack Sparrow living happily ever after with _anyone._ She smiled, as she thought of Jack, her Jack. Then the smile left her face when she was hit by the second thought that followed the first at the heels. He wasn't _her _Jack anymore. He was out there somewhere, and she was… well, she was here. 

     She sighed. There was a ball the next day. She was expected to attend, so that her family could announce her safe return to the community. They would probably try and sell her off to yet another military man, they of course having no idea of what had happened to their daughter. 

     She looked at the gown that had been hung by the wardrobe. It would be what she wore the next night. It was beautiful. She imagined wearing it, and could imagine how good it would look, with her hair done up. It was light pink, a colour which naturally complimented her pale complexion, and made her hair stand out more because the dress was paler than her mousy locks. 

     She grimaced at the thought of wearing it. Why did she care what she looked like? The only person she wanted to impress was Jack, and he wasn't here. She would have to wear it, she would have to smile, and look great. She would have to pretend there was nothing wrong, and get on with her life. Just like Savannah always had. 

     Rosaline hadn't lied down in the dining room. She was tired, she was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. She stifled a yawn, and walked slowly over to her four poster bed which she collapsed on, laying on her back, her eyes on the ceiling.    

     "Goodnight Jack," She whispered, hugging her pillow to her chest, her eyes dry, simply because there were no more tears to shed. "And goodbye." 

     The next day passed quickly for Rosaline. Much quicker than she would have liked. She didn't wake until midday, and still didn't dress for another hour. She was stood at her window, watching the sea, the ships, and the people in the streets below her, when Emily knocked softly and entered, 

     "How are you feeling?" She asked her friend, not liking seeing her at all upset. 

     "Fine," Rosaline lied, "I was tired, a good night's sleep did me good." 

     "You know perfectly well that wasn't what I mean Rosie." Emily's arms were folded across her chest. Rosaline looked at her, 

     "I'm fine." She said again, "Just thinking about the ball tonight, is all." She indicated her dress, "What are you wearing?" 

     "I'm wearing a dress that I got while you were away. Thomas bought it for me from France. It really is lovely, it's light blue, with white lace. Ever so expensive though." Rosaline smiled slightly, and couldn't actually believe how much her priorities had changed in the small space of time she had spent at sea. She didn't care what Emily was wearing, where it was from, how much it cost… There was a time when she would have been able to hold an entire conversation on the lace on the corset. 

     "It sounds nice." She said, distantly, "I can't wait to see it." Emily frowned, 

     "Listen, Rosie, I know that maybe the last month or so has been hard for you, but that's even more of a reason to enjoy yourself tonight. Just go and have fun!" _Easy for you to say. _Rosaline loved her friend, but couldn't stop thinking how much Marti would hate this woman. "Look, Thomas and I are getting a carriage down to the hall later this evening, at about six o clock, why don't you join us?" 

     "I will travel with my parents, thank you," Rosaline didn't appreciate being in the same carriage as the two love birds. "I'm sure they will want to show off that I'm back." 

     Show off they did. Rosaline was pulled to and fro between her mother's friends, and her father's, both parties seemingly delighted that she was safe. She just wanted to go home. She didn't want all this attention. And the music was dull, the dancing boring, the wine… well, it was wine. Nothing more to be said. 

     Rosaline was sat on the very edge of a row of chairs, sipping at her glass of wine, and rejecting yet another request for a dance. She was thinking about leaving, when she heard something that made her heart miss a beat, 

     "Oh yes, Port Royale is very busy this time of year…" That voice! It couldn't be though, "…a lovely place here though, not to busy… with my husband William, he's on business here you see…" Elizabeth! What was she doing… 

     "May I have this dance?" Rosaline was just about to reject this man too, but when she looked up to speak, her almost slipped off her chair, 

     "Will!" She managed to keep her voice down, though when she stood up, her legs felt like jelly, "What's going on?" Will took her glass of wine and set it down before she spilt it, 

     "I can't say," He said, in a hushed voice, "But just know that we're here Rosaline, and tell me to bugger off," Rosaline cocked her head in confusion, and then followed Will's hint of a gesture in Emily's direction, who was trying to hide the fact that she had been staring. 

     "I'm sorry," She said, ever so slightly louder than she needed to, so her friend could hear, "I was thinking of returning home, it's been a long day." Will nodded politely, and went over to his wife, who was enjoying mingling far too much. 

     Rosaline's eyes searched the room, and she caught site of Conch, dressed as a page boy, Ana, dressed in what seemed to be one of Elizabeth's dresses, and not looking particularly comfortable. 

     Where was Jack? And why were they even here? She shook herself mentally. Jack wouldn't be seen here, he would be recognised, just like Gibbs, or Mort, or Clay or even Marti who could not hide the fact that they were pirates, unless each had an industrial bath, a change of wardrobe, and a haircut. 

     Will hadn't said anything when she had mentioned leaving. In fact, he had smiled, as if he had no problem with it. Should she go? It would arouse suspicion if she went over to speak to Ana, or the page boy. Especially from Emily, who knew perfectly well Rosaline didn't know either of them. 

     She glanced around for her mother, and told her quietly that she had had enough and was going to go back to get some rest. Instantly her mother agreed and launched into a terrifically embellished tale of her daughters last few weeks at sea. Rosaline rolled her eyes, and headed outside where there were carriages waiting. 

     As they travelled past the dock, she looked out, half expecting to see the Pearl moored there. A stupid thought, but then, maybe the rest was too. Did she really see Will, and hear Elizabeth? Was that Ana, or just a black woman she had not seen before? And the page? Could have been anyone… Rosaline needed sleep. Her mind was confusing itself. 

     She thanked the coach driver when she reached her house, and told the maid in the hall way that she just wanted to go to sleep, and didn't want to be disturbed. 

     Rosaline left her door open slightly, not wanting to be woken in the morning when the maid came in. She went over to her dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked tired, she would admit, but she looked like she fitted in with the image staring back at her. It was a shame she didn't fee like it. 

     She felt something, and her eyes froze. It was in her hair, what on earth? She felt it again, and realised some one was brushing her hair. She rolled her eyes. Kate, the maid, always brushed her hair at night, and when she woke. Lorna mustn't have told her Rosaline didn't want to be disturbed. 

     She turned around, expecting to see the small round face of Kate Smith, but was instead met with the stained, crumpled fabric of a shirt. Her heart actually stopped, and her whole body felt like it had gone numb. 

     Her eyes followed her shirt upwards, and was met by the gaze of Jack. _Her _Jack. She couldn't move, and it looked like he couldn't either. They both stood staring for what seemed like an eternity. Rosaline managed to stutter something, 

     "W-w-why?" She couldn't understand why he was here. Why he wasn't half way to Tortuga by now… Why was he here?" 

     "I'm not actually sure luv," Jack's deep voice answered her, "But I'm hopin' it were the right thing t' do." He was silenced instantly when Rosaline stood up and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled, and held her tightly. "Tha's good then." 

     "Jack, I have to say it now, I have to…" Rosaline whispered, "This was wrong. Me coming back. Ever since I got back I've not stopped wishing I could have made a different decision." 

     "Then I'd say it's a good job I listened to Ana then," Jack murmured, stroking her hair, and savouring every moment he had her in his arms. 

     "Let's go. Right now, let's go." Rosaline said desperately. 

     "Rosie, no," Rosaline stopped, and turned her head to see Emily in the doorway, 

     "Emmy," She started, but seeing her friend's face, she didn't know what else to say. 

     "This is him, isn't it? This is that pirate you've been carrying on with? I knew there was something wrong at the ball, and now I find this? Rosie, what are you thinking?" 

     "Roz luv, you don't seem like the 'Rosie' type," Jack commented, as he felt her arms tighten around his waist, 

     "Roz? You _hate _that! What is wrong with you?" Emily demanded, "He's a _pirate_. The navy would be in here in three seconds if they knew… and I can smell him from over here!" 

     "You won't tell the navy," Rosaline sounded desperate, now thinking that she would. Emily really thought Rosaline had lost her mind, 

     "Won't I? If it's the only thing that make you see…" 

     "No!" Rosaline yelled, stepping back from Jack, and toward Emily, "Emily, I will not have Jack taken from me, not my you, the navy… or anyone!" Emily glared, 

     "You can't leave with him!" She protested, "You can't! You live here, with us!" 

     "No I don't…" Rosaline said quietly, "I can't… not any more…" Emily stepped back, shaking her head, 

     "You can't… I can't… Rosie…" Rosaline didn't speak, but looked into her friend's eyes, with tears in her own. She really didn't understand how she felt. How much she loved Jack. She never could. 

     "I'm sorry." She whispered, meaning every bit of it. Emily backed away, then ran down the stairs and out of the house. Rosaline turned to Jack, "We have to go," She said hurriedly, "What if she goes and gets her husband, he's an officer, Jack come on we have to…" She broke down in sobs, partly at the thought of leaving, partly at the thought of Jack being caught, at the thought of the look on Emily's face, the betrayal. Jack wrapped his strong arms around her again, and felt her bury her face in his chest. 

     "The navy has tried, and failed on many occasions to capture me luv," He said, planting a kiss on her head, "And if the worst comes to the worst, I'll use you as a hostage." 


	48. 47

When Emily got back to the hall, her husband knew immediately that something was wrong. She was distraught, and he took her aside. 

     "What is wrong?" He asked her, urgently. Emily pulled her husband closer to him, not wanting any one too hear. 

     "Thomas, Rosaline is at the house, with a man…" She said urgently, "You _have _to get her to come back here." 

     "It's really none of my business who Rosaline spends her time with, Emily," Thomas laughed, but Emily shook her head, 

     "No, you really must get here back here now. I don't know what she might do… I think she might go away again. It would break her parent's hearts Thomas, it really would. And he's… he's not the type of man she should…" 

     "Perhaps you should be telling the Meredith Jones's about this, and not me." Thomas suggested, unsettled by his wife's desperation. 

     "I can't Thomas, you have to do this!" He took her hand, and tried to quieten her. 

     "Alright," He said, "Alright, I'll bring her back here." 

     "But be careful," Emily said, just before he left, 

     "Why?"

     "Just… be careful." Emily didn't want to admit that she thought Rosaline was going to run off with a pirate. 

     "What was that?" Rosaline froze, and stood up. There were sounds downstairs, and voices. "Some one's here." Jack stood up and straightened his attire slightly, 

     "Maybe they won't…" They heard footsteps, "Come upstairs." 

     "Jack what are we going to do?" Rosaline hissed desperately, "What if it's my parents?" 

     "No worries luv," Jack headed to the window. "Y' can just make like y've been here the whole time. Who's yer dad goin' t' believe, you? Or yer friend?" 

     "Wait, stop. Don't you dare leave." Rosaline grabbed his arm, and Jack stopped, turning to face her. "Don't leave me again." Jack kissed her quickly, and gave her a wink, 

     "Y' can't get rid o' me luv," He grinned, swinging a leg over the balcony, "And Roz, y' might want to tidy up yer hair a bit, if yer havin' company." 

     Jack disappeared, and Rosaline glanced in her mirror. Her hair _was _a mess. She brushed it quickly, and straightened her skirt, just in time to hear a knock on her door. 

     "Yes?" She said, quite proud of how calm her voice was. Thomas entered, 

     "Sorry Rosaline, I know you wanted to rest, but people are requesting your presence." Rosaline sighed, and glanced out of the window one more time. 

     "Alright." She said, pulling her wrap around her shoulders. "I should have known that I wouldn't be allowed to get out of it that easily." She was aware of Thomas' eyes searching the room discreetly. So Emily had blabbed. But could she be blamed? She had caught her friend playing tonsil hockey with a pirate.  

     Rosaline kept her eyes on the trees and down back streets on the entire journey to the hall. She didn't spot Jack, and she wasn't really surprised. She had the feeling that if he didn't want to be found, he wasn't going to be. 

"Oh Rosaline dear, you decided to come back. I am glad," Her mother approached her as soon as she spotted her. Rosaline looked awkward, and distracted. She was looking for any sign of the crew, but she couldn't even see Elizabeth any more. 

     "Well, I couldn't let every one miss me. Not on my first day back." 

     Rosaline talked for hours, but always kept her eyes out for the crew. Maybe they weren't even there any more. Maybe they had left. Gone for good. Rosaline shook herself. That was not true. Definitely not true. 

     Her suspicions were justified when she heard screams coming from the far side of the room. The music stopped playing, every one stopped dancing. Rosaline had no idea what was going on until she heard, 

     "No need to scream luv, I don't bite." _Jack._ Her heart skipped a beat, and then sunk straight afterwards. _What is he doing here? He's going to get himself killed. _She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, where Jack, Marti and Bill stood. Bill gave her a little bow, and Marti nodded, grinning. 

     "This is outrageous! Get these people out of here at once," Lady Smithe, the lady who was hosting the ball spoke up, enraged. But she too let out a scream when Jack's pistol went off into the air. 

     "Oh, I don't think we'll be doin' that." He said, demurely, "Not without what we came for." 

     Then suddenly, three guards ran into the room, their rifles raised. Rosaline gasped as she saw them all take aim at Jack. 

     Jack himself however, did not seem very worried about the fact that he was about to be used for target practice. In fact, he almost looked like he was enjoying it, and soon after, Rosaline found out why. 

     All at once, there were three sickening simultaneous cracks. The soldiers slid to the ground, revealing Will behind the first, Ana behind the second, her pistol in her hand, and Elizabeth behind the third, looking quite proud of the fact that she'd just knocked out a member of the Royal Navy. 

     "Hello," Ana said, to the astounded crowd. They all started looking around themselves nervously, eyeing every one with the utmost suspicion. 

     Rosaline couldn't help the delight showing on her face. She found it very amusing that she was the only one who knew anything about what was going on. She caught Emily looking at her strangely. 

     "You aren't Rosaline," She hissed, "Rosaline would never behave like this. Never. You make a choice, us or _them_. And believe me, you will never be spoken well of in society again. Your decisions affect your family mind. So far you have done your best to disgrace them." Rosaline was shocked at Emily's cold tone, and her harsh words. She pulled her eyes away from her gaze. 

     Rosaline wasn't hurt by Emily's words. She was angry. Angry that Emily would even dare to say something like that to her, when she had absolutely no idea how Rosaline was feeling. Angry that she would try and play the 'disgracing your family' card, when all she had ever done was be a credit to her family, even when she didn't want to be. Angry that Emily was so stupid to believe that she cared for her place in society, above Jack. She turned away, keeping her face expressionless, and knew that she was never going to make eye contact with her friend again. That was the end of their friendship, and Rosaline couldn't exactly work out why she hadn't seen Emily's arrogance before. _Maybe because I was as arrogant as she is_. She thought, more disgusted with the type of person she used to be, than she had been when she had first met any of Jack's crew. 

     "Who are you, pirate, and what do you want?" Lady Smithe's husband demanded, his rage bubbling to the surface. He was quite a large man, and not military in any way, except in his connections. His face was Red, and was blending in quite nicely with the uniforms around him.     

     "Who am I?" Jack grinned, showing his gold teeth, "Captain Jack Sparrow," There was no sound made, but a general sense of realisation settled in the room, "And I'll tell y' one thing mate. I just got a hefty share in the treasure of Isla de Corona, I've got me ship, plenty of food, plenty o' rum, and a good crew. I'm probably richer than you, in actual fact," 

     "What is your point?" Smithe demanded, furious that there was nothing he could do about these pirates, and no way of telling who else was on their side. 

     "My point is, whilst I have all of these wonderful things, there is one thing your little town has that I want." Jack waved his pistol around the room, causing many people to back away nervously. Then, so quickly that it made several of the closest onlookers jump in shock, he slipped it into his belt, and his eyes rested on Rosaline. "What I want, is the lovely lady in pink." 

     Rosaline's mother made some kind of over exaggerated swoon, and fell into her husband's arms. 

     "Of course if ye let me have her, me crew will put yer town to our rudder. And y'll get no trouble from us again." 

     "Outrageous! If you think for one moment that my daughter would be allowed to run away with even a respectable man she did not marry, let alone a pirate, you are very much mistaken Mister Sparrow." 

     "_Captain _Sparrow." Jack said, "A problem with marriage you say? Well then, I have a proposition for y'. How about, the lady steps forward," Her father was about to stop her, but Jack swung his pistol around absently, and Rosaline stepped out, "A wise move," Jack said approvingly, "And now, the next part of my proposition." He stuck his hand into one of his many coat pockets, and pulled something out. 

     Marti saw something glint in his hand, 

     "Bloody hell!" She gasped, forgetting herself. "This wasn't in the plan," Bill hissed at her to be quiet. 

     Then Jack did something that not even Savannah would have expected, if she was there. He knelt down on one knee, right in front of Rosaline, 

     "Roz," He said, grinning at the shock on her face, "D'y fancy marryin' me?" 


	49. The End

Thank you for sticking with this! I know the new movie came out and everything... this (3 years later) if for the faithful readers that requested it. I'm so sorry I never finished it! Without going into too much detail there were some issues with various aspects of life... work/men/rent... NONE of which are any better but I've come to realise that there are more important things! I love you guys for reading and reviewing.

Previously in The Forgotten Curse...

"_Captain _Sparrow." Jack said, "A problem with marriage you say? Well then, I have a proposition for y'. How about, the lady steps forward," Her father was about to stop her, but Jack swung his pistol around absently, and Rosaline stepped out, "A wise move," Jack said approvingly, "And now, the next part of my proposition." He stuck his hand into one of his many coat pockets, and pulled something out.

Marti saw something glint in his hand,

"Bloody hell!" She gasped, forgetting herself. "This wasn't in the plan," Bill hissed at her to be quiet.

Then Jack did something that not even Savannah would have expected, if she was there. He knelt down on one knee, right in front of Rosaline,

"Roz," He said, grinning at the shock on her face, "D'y fancy marryin' me?"

A silence decended on the room. Rosaline's mother awoke temporarily, glanced around at the dumbfounded expressions on her family and friends' faces and decided it would be in her best interest to feint again.

Rosaline herself was as speechless as anybody. She looked from Jack, to Ana and Elizabeth, and back to Jack again. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before any words managed to escape.

"Yes." She whispered. Jack cocked an eyebrow and put a hand to his ear,

"What was that luv?" He asked, a grin spreading across his features,

Rosaline plucked the ring from his hand and slipped it onto her finger. "I said yes."

Jack stared blankly for a second, before his mind caught up with him. He looked up at the room full of people, all stood with their jaws at their ankles.

"She said yes!" Marti screeched, leaping onto Bill's back and punching a fist into the air.

"She said yes?" Rosaline's mother mumbled, confused and barely conscious,

"She said yes!" Jack yelled triumphantly. Suddenly, a series of events occurred in quick succession. Jack whisked Rosaline off her feet and kissed her; Rosaline's father lunged at the pair of them only to be fought off by his new son-in-law's half sister; Bill, Will, Elizabeth and Ana Maria simultaneously realised that they hadn't thought the plan through much past this point; and every candle and lamp in the room flickered and died.

Plunged into confusion and darkness, madness ensued. Jack held onto his new fiance tightly and navigated his way through the screaming party guests toward's the servants entrance.

Once they had escaped the ball, they found themselves in a dimly lit kitchen. A scullery maid and a page boy stared at them in astonishment as a merry band of pirates stumbled through the door behind them.

"I can't believe you said yes!" Martina hissed, throwing her arms around Rosaline's neck and kissing her soundly on each cheek.

"Who's idea was it to turn out the lights?" Will asked,

"Stroke of genius if you ask me." Bill added. No one spoke for a moment. "Anyone?" Bill searched everyone's faces and got no response. They all quickly did a mental body count and found no one missing. "Well someone must have done it!"

"Are you going to stand here talking all night? Or make your dramatic escape while you still can?" A small but forceful voice spoke from behind them. The group parted to reveal a little girl, dressed in a very fine dress, with a familiar glint in her eye.

"Well I'll be a-"

"I'd prefer it if you left out the profanities whilst addressing my daughter." Savannah stood in the open doorway that led into the back entrance of the stables. She turned to the pair of servants still left in the corner of the room. "Do excuse the intrusion... You can return to your previous activities as soon as we leave." Savannah turned back to the pirates. "Elena does have a point you know. Some one in there is bound to have a match."

Jack was shaking his head in bewilderment, "How did you...? When did she...?"

"Every other door to the ballroom has been locked and sealed, rather tightly actually." Savannah said dismissively.

Elena pulled several bolts across the door behind her and padlocked it securely. She pocketed the key and pushed through the group to join her mother in the doorway.

Jack found his voice at last. "Savannah..."

"No Jack."

There was an awkward silence while the two 'friends' shared a moment of realisation. Jack nodded, resigned. "Have a nice life luv." He looked down to Elena, "And you, you keep an eye on your mad mother."

Elena grinned, with a kind of happiness that Jack had never seen in her mother. "I'll try." She said. Savannah gripped her daughter's shoulders and the pair of them disappeared around the corner.

"Jack!" Savannah's voice rang through the echoey building.

"What?"

"Those doors won't hold them in forever."

The crew glanced at one another, hearing shouts and screams from next door. Without taking another moment of deliberation they started to run.

They ran through the stables and out onto the backstreets. There was no sign of Savannah and Elena, but none of the crew expected to see either of them ever again. Jack held Rosaline's hand tightly as they ran, but they needn't have hurried. It would be a long time before anyone in the ballroom worked out just where the candles had all gone, or indeed before they worked out why no one could hear them banging on the doors and windows.

"I 'av t'say luv, you had me worried for a minute there." Jack said to Rosaline, as their feet landed on the familiar decking of the Black Pearl.

"Captain Jack Sparrow? Worry? Well I'll never." Rosaline teased him, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

"So what d'ye say to a summer wedding?" Jack asked, "Sun... sea... sand..."

"...Rum..."

"Well I was thinking of changing me ways to be honest luv, but if you insist..." Rosaline caught the glint in her pirate's eyes and laughed.

"Don't you dare change a thing. I love you just the way you are." And with that, Jack swept her off her feet. Rosaline whisked the hat off his head and dropped it onto her own. The sight of his lady in his hat brought quite a different glint to his eyes.

"Ana Maria!" He yelled, "Take us somewhere... exciting."

Ana Maria laughed, shaking her head, "Anything more specific Captain?" Jack was already walking towards his cabin.

"D'you know what luv?" He said, turning at the doorway to look at his crew. "I don't care."

The door closed on the pair of them, and Martina could swear that several stars in the sky grew that little bit brighter. As the crew went about their business, couldn't help grinning at the way things had worked out. Intent on joining Ana Maria at the helm to see the coast line fade into the distance, she turned around but found her way blocked by the ever persistent figure of Clay.

His babbling started almost instantly, and Marti found herself searching for a way to shut him up. She found one. It had been well tried and tested by her half brother, who had found it to be a rather productive way of silencing the opposite sex.

An hour later, Marti joined Ana Maria at the helm.

"You really going to leave the Pearl Ana?" Marti asked, shaking her hair out and tying it back with a bit of cord from the rigging ropes.

"I had intended on leaving." Ana said, "But with our Captain in his current state..."

"Lovesick. Preoccupied. Easily distracted." Marti suggested.

"Indeed. And his sister's no better."

"Excuse me?" Marti feigned innocence, but failed miserably. She whined desperately, "It was the only way to get him so shut up!"

Ana laughed, and elbowed her friend in the ribs. "You know what? I don't care."

The girls laughed, safe in the knowledge that wherever they ended up in the future, they would always be the crew of the Black Pearl. And they would always have the horizon.

Fin.

Done.

End.

3 years after I started it! Thanks reviewers and RIDICULOUSLY faithful readers. I love you guys. You bring warmth and light to my world forever. I hope that was enough for you. I'm not really in the PotC mindset anymore... but these guys needed some closure.

SM xxx


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